IP A M °UR- LITTLE
«J C/Y1Y AUSTRALIAN "COUSIN
MARY-F-NIXON-ROULET
This book must not
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SOCIETIES
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
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THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
AT CHAPEL HILL
PRESENTED BY
Elizabeth Preston Ward
in memory of
Jean Versfelt Preston
Our Little Australian Cousin
THE
Little Cousin Series
(trade mark)
Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in
tint. Cloth, i2mo, with decorative cover,
per volume, 60 cents
LIST OF TITLES
By Mary Hazelton Wade
(unless otherwise indicated)
Our Little African Cousin
Our Little Alaskan Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Arabian Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Armenian Cousin
Our Little Australian Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Brazilian Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Brown Cousin
Our Little Canadian Cousin
By Elizabeth R. MacDonald
Our Little Chinese Cousin
By Isaac Taylor Headland
Our Little Cuban Cousin
Our Little Dutch Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Egyptian Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little English Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Eskimo Cousin
Our Little French Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little German Cousin
Our Little Greek Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Hawaiian Cousin
Our Little Hindu Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Hungarian Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Indian Cousin
Our Little Irish Cousin
Our Little Italian Cousin
Our Little Japanese Cousin
Our Little Jewish Cousin
Our Little Korean Cousin
By H. Lee M. Pike
Our Little Mexican Cousin
By Edward C. Butler
Our Little Norwegian Cousin
Our Little Panama Cousin
By H. Lee M. Pike
Our Little Persian Cousin
By E. C. Shedd
Our Little Philippine Cousin
Our Little Porto Rican Cousin
Our Little Russian Cousin
Our Little Scotch Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Siamese Cousin
Our Little Spanish Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Swedish Cousin
By Claire M. Coburn
Our Little Swiss Cousin
Our Little Turkish Cousin
L. C. PAGE £r COMPANY
New England Building, Boston, Mass.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
http://www.archive.org/details/ourlittleaustralOOnixo
JEAN.
| JEAN |
2 Our Little Australian Cousin T
* *
* *
* By ^
* Mary F. Nixon -Roulet *
T Author of " Go</, *&* %, Afy Brother^ " Owr Jf
«k Z./ft/<? Spanish Cousin" "Our Little Alaskan ' *•
£T Cousin" " Owr Z/tf/* Grecian Cousin" ^£
Tf " Owr Z./tt/<? Brazilian Cousin," etc. Jj
*, ^
^4 Illustrated by ^
* Diantha W. Home *£
* *
* ^^ *
^ Boston #•
^ L. C. Page £sf Company ^
4* Publishers 4
4* 4^
Copyright, igo8
By L. C. Page & Company
(incorporated)
Entered at Stationers' Hall, London
All rights reserved
First Impression, September, 1908
Second Impression, October, 1909
TO
fottfcp PtSDowittffl)
A Little Texas Friend
P reface
— -^ —
Australia, though a continent, is a part of the
Empire of Great Britain. A few years ago it
was a wild country, where no white people
lived, filled with Blacks, who were man-eating
savages. These are fast dying out, but in this
story you will learn something about them, and
of the lives of your Australian Cousins.
Contents
I. "Land!"
II. Sailing to Sydney
III. A Drive
IV. On the Way to the " Run
V. Life at Djerinallum
VI. "Lost!"
VII. Jean Finds a Friend
VIII. In the Bush .
IX. Housekeeping in a Cave
X. Dandy Saves the Day .
PACK
I
8
20
32
47
60
76
90
101
117
List of Illustrations
Jean ....... Frontispiece
" ' I thought Pacific meant peaceful/ said
Fergus" ....... ii
"'That is the lyre bird, isn't he a handsome
fellow?'" ....... 58
" ' That was a platypus, or water mole,' said
Mr. McDonald" ..... 66
"The leaves parted and a black face peered
through the bushes " .... 99
" The black boy on a pony led by a white
child" 128
Our Little Australian Cousin
CHAPTER I
Fergus and Jean were very tired of the long
voyage. They stood at the taffrail looking over
the dancing waves, longing for the sight of land.
" It seems as if we would never get there,
Father," said Fergus. " How long it is since
we left home ! "
" And how far away Scotland seems," sighed
his mother, as she took little Jean on her lap and
stroked her fair hair.
" But Australia is to be our home now," said
Mr. Hume cheerfully. " See, there is the very
first glimpse of it," and he pointed across the
2 Our Little Australian Cousin
water to a dim line, as the look-out called
"Land!"
" We are passing Port Phillip's Head," he
said presently. " See the lighthouse ! Soon we
shall land and you will see a beautiful city."
" Beautiful ! " Fergus said in surprise.
" Why, I thought Melbourne was a wild sort of
a place. You have told us about the time you
were here long ago, before you married my
mother, and you had floods in the streets and
had to climb up on top of some one's porch for
fear of being drowned."
" That was fifteen years ago, my son," said
Mr. Hume with a smile. " Melbourne is very
different now from what it was then, and then
it was not at all like it was when its first settlers
saw it.
" It was in 1836 that Robert Russell came
here to survey the shore near Port Phillip and
find out whether boats could go up the River
Yana. He felt this to be just the place for a
" Land ! " 3
city, planned Melbourne and laid out the streets.
It seems strange to think that then the blacks
owned all this land and the Wawoorong, Boo-
noorong, and Wautourong tribes roamed these
shores, and that when Russell laid out his city
there were native huts standing. The place was
called Bear Grass, and in 1837 there were thir-
teen buildings, eight of which were turf huts.
Now Melbourne is seven miles square and the
principal street is a mile long. You will soon
see how handsome the buildings are, for we are
now making ready to land after our long jour-
ney."
Fergus and Jean Hume had come from Scot-
land to live in Australia. Their father had been
a farmer, but he had lost all his little fortune
through the rascality of a friend, and had deter-
mined to try again in the colony.
Australia is a colony of Great Britain just as
Canada is, and though it is at the other side of
the world, still it is British.
4 Our Little Australian Cousin
Mrs. Hume had a sister in Sydney and they
were to visit her before going to the Gold Coun-
try, where Mr. Hume intended to try his for-
tune.
Fergus was a fine boy of twelve and Jean was
eight, and both were much excited at the trip,
while Mrs. Hume's sadness at leaving her old
home was mixed with joy at the idea of seeing
again the sister from whom she had been sepa-
rated for years.
The landing on the Melbourne quay proved
interesting for the children, and they were very
much impressed with their first glimpse of the
city.
" Why, Father," exclaimed Fergus, as they
drove in a cab up Flinders Street, " Melbourne
streets seem as busy as those of Glasgow ! "
" Indeed they are, my son," said his father,
smiling. " Perhaps they are busier. You see
Victoria is the busiest part of this country, al-
though the people of New South Wales will tell
" Land ! " 5
you that their district is far superior and Sydney
a much handsomer city than Melbourne."
"If the wares one sees in the streets are any
sign, Victoria must have a great variety of prod-
ucts," said Mrs. Hume. " The shops have all
manner of things in the windows, and besides
there are great drays of wood, coal and timber."
" Victoria is called the Garden of Australia,"
said Mr. Hume. " You will see considerable of
it if we go up to Sydney by rail instead of by
sea.
" Oh, Father! " cried Fergus, who loved the
water, " are we going to do that? "
" I haven't decided yet which would be the
better plan," Mr. Hume answered. " I had
thought of going by steamer and stopping at
Hobart in Tasmania, but it will take a great deal
longer and you will miss the trip through Vic-
toria, which is said to be the prettiest part of
this great continent."
" I think the sooner we reach Aunt Mildred
6 Our Little Australian Cousin
the better for all of us," said Mrs. Hume.
" The children are tired with the long voyage
and winter will soon be here."
" Winter! " exclaimed Jean.
"Winter, why, Mother!" cried Fergus.
"This is June!"
" Yes, I know that," said his mother. " But
don't you know that in the Southern Hemi-
sphere, winter and summer change places? In
Victoria, midwinter comes in July."
"Will it be cold?" asked Jean.
" No, dear, winter here is not like our nip-
ping Scotch frost. It is not very cold here, and
it rains in winter instead of snowing."
" I don't think that is nice at all," said Fergus.
" We'll have no sleighing."
" There are many things we will miss here,"
said his mother sadly, but his father said cheer-
fully,
" There are many things here we can't have
at home, also. When I get to the Gold Fields
" Land ! " 7
you shall have all the gold you want, and that
is something you never had in Scotland. Now,
our fine drive is over and here we are at the
hotel, where we shall have some luncheon.
How have you enjoyed your first drive in an
Australian city? "
" Very much," cried both of the children.
" It will be some time before you take another
one, for I believe after all that we shall go by
boat to Sydney. I understand that the sea trip
is very pleasant and it is less expensive. "
" I am glad," said Fergus.
" A boat sails this afternoon and there is noth-
ing for us to do but have our luggage trans-
ferred from one boat to the other," said Mr.
Hume, as they all went in to luncheon.
CHAPTER II
SAILING TO SYDNEY
The travellers set sail for Sydney in a calm
and beautiful afternoon when earth and sea
seemed at peace. The sea sparkled in the sun-
light as if set in diamonds and the vessel fairly
danced over the waters as it sailed out of Bass
Strait into the dark waters of the blue Pacific.
The afternoon passed quietly and toward eve-
ning all gathered on deck to see the sunset, for
Australia is noted as the land of wonderful sun-
sets, and from the sea these can be viewed in all
their splendour.
Gold, crimson, yellow, pink, from brilliant to
soft, from light to dark, the clouds changed in
countless colour schemes, bewilderingly beauti-
ful. The whole sky was a dome of softest rose,
Sailing to Sydney 9
then a flaming crimson, then pearly-tinted helio-
trope ; the sea, too, shone in varying shades of
beauty, until all melted and blended into one
exquisitely soft shade of deep-toned purple, and
into this the smiling stars stole one by one, the
countless stars of the southern night, and above
all shone the glory of the Southern Cross.
" Oh, Father," whispered Jean, " I have
never seen anything so beautiful! Is the sunset
always like this in Australia ? "
" This was a particularly fine one, daughter,
but whenever the sun sets it is a thing worth
looking at."
" How quickly it has grown dark after all that
splendour," said Mrs. Hume, looking at the sky
over which the clouds were passing.
" I don't like the look of the sky," said Mr.
Hume. " I'm afraid there is a squall coming."
" Worse than a squall, sir," said a sailor,
hurrying by. " It looks to me like a hurricane."
The air had grown suddenly warm and the
10 Our Little Australian Cousin
sky was overhung with heavy clouds, while
flashes of lightning blazed across the sky. Sud-
denly a great waterspout seemed to rise up like
an inky-black pillar from sea to sky. The ship
tossed about and pitched so badly that it was
impossible to keep one's feet and Mr. Hume led
his little party to the cabin.
"Oh, Father! what shall we do?" cried
Jean, frightened.
" Go to sleep is the best thing to do if you
can," he said, and the children were put to bed
in their berths, in which they could hardly stay,
so violent was the pitching of the ship.
The wind howled and roared and, as the
storm kept up all night, there was little sleep in
the cabin. When the morning came it was lit-
tle better. Sea and sky were dull gray, save
where the foam-crested waves broke in sheets
of spray against the sides of the vessel, sending
the foam high into the air.
" It is a cross sea," said the sailor on the look-
I THOUGHT PACIFIC MEANT PEACEFUL,' SAID FERGUS.
Sailing to Sydney n
out and the captain shook his head. " It's a
bad outlook," he said. " I don't like the gray
water."
" I thought Pacific meant peaceful," said
Fergus, who stood clinging to his father on
deck, looking at the wonderful scene. " It
doesn't seem peaceful to me," as a great wave
broke over the deck and drenched him to the
skin.
" Like most peaceful things, it is terrible
when it is roused," said Mr. Hume. " There
is a strong current running up and down this
eastern shore of Australia and it often sets ves-
sels quite out of their course. Sometimes they
are washed miles out of their way, and occa-
sionally, in the darkness, run upon one of the
little islands which dot this sea."
" Is Tasmania one of them? " asked Fergus.
" We have long since passed Tasmania," said
his father. " But there are many little islands
between here and Sydney. There! What is
12 Our Little Australian Cousin
that? " he exclaimed. Suddenly it seemed as if
land sprang at them through the fog and they
were almost upon a rocky shore. So near to it
was their steamer that there was barely time to
put about and it was only by the quickest action
that they escaped the rocks. The steamer
lurched and rolled, pitched and tossed in the
gale, but she passed the rocks in safety, and as
afternoon waned and night drew on, the storm
grew less, until by midnight the sea was quiet.
The morning of the third day broke in a golden
splendour, the air was fresh and cool, the sky
and the sea were as blue as a sapphire, the chil-
dren glad to be out of the stuffy cabin and up
on deck.
"If the weather continues like this we shall
not be long in reaching Sydney,'5 said Mr.
Hume. " And I am sure we shall all be glad to
get there."
"What kind of a place is Sydney?" asked
Fergus.
Sailing to Sydney 13
" It is a fine city, my boy, and very different
from what it was when Botany Bay was peopled
with felons."
" What are felons? " asked Jean.
" Felons are people who have done wrong
and must be kept in prison for punishment in
the hope that they will learn to do right/' an-
swered Mr. Hume. " Botany Bay was named
by the botanist Joseph Banks who was with
Cook when he made his first voyage in 1770.
It is an inlet near Sydney and the English sent
their criminals there until 1840. Such men as
behaved well when they reached the colony were
allowed to leave the penal settlement upon
tickets, and were called ' ticket of leave men.'
They could be followed up and brought back
if they misbehaved in any way. Many of them
were good men who had been led into wrong-
doing and were glad to have a chance to be good
again. They went out into the ' bush,' cleared
farms or sheep stations, and many of them
14 Our Little Australian Cousin
grew rich. Quite a number of the good citizens
of Australia to-day, could, if they would, trace
their descent back to ' ticket of leave ' men."
" I shouldn't think they would like to do
that," said Fergus. " I wouldn't like any one
to know that my people had done wrong."
" Everybody does wrong," said Jean sagely.
" Yes, but every one isn't found out," her
brother answered. " When they are, it hurts."
" But if it's found out that they're sorry and
are going to do good for ever and ever," the
little girl looked puzzled, " then does it mat-
ter?"
" Dear little childish point of view," said her
mother, with a smile, and her father added,
" It would be a good thing if older people
felt so."
Sydney looked beautiful enough as their ship
steamed into the bay to pay them for their
troublesome voyage. The harbour is one of
the handsomest in the world. The city is pic-
Sailing to Sydney 15
turesquely situated upon the bold and rocky
slopes which rise from the water's edge and is
defended from any possible attack by bristling
forts and batteries.
" This narrow entrance to the harbour is
called ' the Heads,' " said Mr. Hume to the
children, who were dancing about asking a thou-
sand questions, of which their father answered
the most important. " The lighthouse is a guide
to all storm-driven sailors, and also a good
lookout, should any enemies of England hope to
steal upon Australia unawares. I think Sydney
one of the most delightfully situated cities I
have ever visited. It is surrounded by parks
and groves where grow bananas, orange trees,
palms and all manner of tropical plants. Its
climate is healthful and life here easy and
pleasant."
" The buildings seem very handsome, " said
Mrs. Hume, as the city came into view, gleam-
ing white and beautiful in the morning sun.
1 6 Our Little Australian Cousin
" The sandstone upon which the town is built
gives fine building material," said her husband,
" and while, in the older part of the city, streets
are narrow and houses old-fashioned, the newer
portion compares favourably with almost any
of the modern European cities.
"We are just about in now; the sailors are
making ready to cast the hawser."
uOh, Fergus! There is Mildred!" cried
Mrs. Hume to her husband, pointing to a sweet-
faced little woman who stood beside a large,
burly-looking man upon the wharf. " It is
worth almost the long journey from home just
to see her again ! " and she stretched out her
hands to the sister whom she had not seen for
ten years.
Soon they were landed and the two sisters
greeted each other joyfully.
" Elsie ! How glad I am to welcome you to
Australia," cried Mrs. McDonald, while her
sister said,
Sailing to Sydney 17
11 Mildred, you don't look a day older than
when you left Scotland ! "
" Life is easy out here," said Mr. McDonald
genially. " Come, all of you. The carriage is
waiting. We are glad to have a visit from you
and want it to be as long a visit as possible. We
have planned all manner of things to do during
your stay."
As they drove through the handsome streets,
Mrs. McDonald said,
" It is nearly time we went into the country,
and after you are well rested and have seen
Sydney, Angus is going to take us up to the
station so you can see just what life is on an
Australian * run.' " 1
" I am sure we shall enjoy it," said Mrs.
Hume. " But just now I can think of nothing
to do but getting rested. The sea motion is
still in my head, and I believe that if I could go
to bed and think that Jean could sleep without
1 Run is the name given to a ranch in Australia.
1 8 Our Little Australian Cousin
danger of falling out of bed, I could sleep for
two or three days without waking up."
" We'll take care of the wee lassie and of
this big boy, too," said Mr. McDonald kindly,
laying an arm about Fergus' shoulder. " Sandy
is up at the run and you will have fine times with
him there, and your mother shall rest as long
as she wants to.
11 But you are not seeing the sights as we pass.
We think Sydney about the finest thing on this
side of the world. These buildings are a part
of the University. The College of St. Paul's
there belongs to the Church of England, and St.
John's is Roman Catholic."
" It is all very handsome," said Mrs. Hume.
" How Sydney has changed since I was here,"
said Mr. Hume. " It is not like the same
place."
11 Its growth is simply wonderful," said Mr.
McDonald. " We have now all manner of
manufactories. Wagons are made here and sold
Sailing to Sydney 19
all over Australia and New Zealand. There
are fine glass and pottery works, boot and shoe
factories, besides stove foundries and carriage
works. Tobacco and fine liquors are manufac-
tured here and Sydney is really the center of the
British colonies in the South."
" Here we are at home," said his wife. " So
your interesting lecture must cease. I am sure
Elsie would rather see a good cup of tea and a
comfortable bed than hear your discourse on
the beauties of Sydney when she's homesick for
dear little Glasgow."
" Tea and bed will do much to do away with
homesickness, and the sight of you will do
more," said her sister as they alighted from the
carriage and went up the steps of a handsome
house surrounded by fine trees and a garden
radiant with flowers.
CHAPTER III
A DRIVE
A FEW days' rest made the travellers as good
as new and Fergus and Jean were ready for any
kind of an adventure. They went about the city
interested in each and everything they saw, for
they were bright little children, full of spirits to
the brim.
" We are to take a drive this afternoon, " said
Mrs. McDonald one morning. " Your Uncle
Angus is going to show you Wuurna-wee-
weetch, which means * home of the swallow.'
It is the largest squatter station anywhere about
here, and it is as handsome as any noble estate
at home."
"That will be jolly, Aunt Mildred," said
Fergus, who loved driving.
20
A Drive 21
When luncheon was over they all seated them-
selves in Mr. McDonald's comfortable road-
cart, and his fine span of horses pranced along
the Sydney streets.
" We are passing St. Andrew's Cathedral
now," said Mrs. McDonald. " And there is
St. Mary's Cathedral, which is equally fine.
There is the Governor's Mansion, the Museum,
the Art Gallery, and now we are entering Hyde
Park. Isn't it beautiful? The water works of
Sydney are excellent and the water supply never
fails. It comes sixty-three miles from the Ne-
pean River and is stored in a huge reservoir.
Even in the hottest weather there is enough
water to keep our parks green and beautiful."
" You are very enthusiastic over your adopted
country," said her sister, teasingly.
" Indeed I am. I have learned to love Aus-
tralia, the rural life better than the urban. You
wait until we go up to the ' run ' and see if the
charm of the Bush country life doesn't hold
22 Our Little Australian Cousin
you." Mrs. McDonald smiled. " Now we are
entering the grounds of Wuurna-wee-weetch.
Tell me, is the Duke of Argyle's place finer? "
They drove over the estate, which was sur-
passingly beautiful.
" I have heard so much of the Australian
Bush and how wild and bare it is," said Fergus,
" that I had no idea that there was anything here
so fine as this."
" What magnificent trees," said his mother.
" Those are the eucalyptus, the gum trees for
which Australia is famous," said Mr. McDon-
ald. " The eucalyptus grows to an enormous
height, many of the trees are 150 feet high and
eleven feet around the trunk. In some places
they grow to be twenty feet in diameter. They
are not good shade trees because the leaves,
which are shaped like little lances, grow straight
up and down, that is, with one edge toward the
sun. But in spite of that, the tree is one of the
most useful in the world. There are nearly 150
A Drive 23
varieties of eucalyptus, and most of these are
found in Australia. The lumber is used for all
kinds of building purposes. Many of the trees
contain a hard substance, ' manna,' from which
we get a kind of sugar called melitose. Others
give us kino, a resin used in medicine. The bark
yields tannin, and from one variety with ' stringy
bark ' we get a fibre used for making rope, the
manufacture of paper and for thatching roofs.
From the leaves an oil is distilled which is much
used in medicine, being particularly good to
dress wounds and for the treatment of fevers."
" It seems to me that these trees furnish al-
most everything you need," said Mr. Hume.
" If you include the birds who nest in them
and the animals who climb in the branches,"
replied his brother-in-law, " I fancy the Blacks
did not need to look beyond the eucalyptus for
a living. The wood built their huts, and the
bark thatched them. From the fibre they made
mats for their floors and hats to keep off the sun,
24 Our Little Australian Cousin
and clothes, which consisted of waist cloth and
sandals. The leaves gave them medicine for
the fever and salve for their wounds. The
cockatoos nesting in the branches furnished
them delicious food, while of the feathers the
gins * made boas for their necks and wonderful
Easter bonnets. It really would seem as if the
gum trees were all they really needed. They
have another use not to be slighted, for they
take up the moisture rapidly and dry the soil
in rainy seasons, thus reducing the malaria al-
ways found in such climates as these."
" They are certainly useful," said Mrs.
Hume. " Is this the station to which we are
going? " as they drove through a fine gateway.
"Yes," said Mrs. McDonald. " Wuurna-
wee-weetch is quite up to date in every way.
The house cost £30,000 to build and the ranch
has every modern improvement. The grazing
land hereabouts is perfectly adapted to sheep
1 Black women.
A Drive 25
raising. It is so rich that you may dig ten feet
down and still find rich black dirt. The owner
of this ranch has been most successful. He has
recently put in new wool sheds, sheep pens,
washing ponds, and the like, and you may, if
you wish, see the whole process of sheep rais-
ing, shearing, pressing, packing and transport-
ing the wool. You will see it at our station on
a smaller scale." They drove for an hour
about the magnificent place, and over all the
estate was an air of wealth and prosperity.
The gardens were blooming with gay, trop-
ical flowers, and the songs of the birds were in
the air, as they flitted hither and yon through
the branches of the magnificent trees.
" What is that noise, Aunt Mildred? " asked
Jean as they drove through a beautiful grove
of pines which scented the air deliciously. " It
sounds like a far away church bell."
" It is the bell bird, dear, one of the curiosi-
ties of Australia," replied her Aunt. " Long,
26 Our Little Australian Cousin
long before there was a church bell of any kind
in Australia, this little, lonely bird made its curi-
ous bell-like note. There are some pretty verses
by one of our poets about it."
" Can you say them to us, Aunty?"
" I will try, — they are really beautiful," she
said.
" ' Tis the bell bird sweetly singing,
The sad, strange, small-voiced bird,
His low sweet carol ringing,
While scarce a sound is heard,
Save topmost sprays aflutter,
And withered leaflets fall,
And the wistful oaks that utter
Their eerie, drearie, call.
" What may be the bell bird saying,
In that silvery, tuneful note ?
Like a holy hermit's praying
His devotions seem to float
From a cavern dark and lonely,
Where, apart from worldly men,
He repeats one dear word only,
Fondly o'er and o'er again."
" Is not that pretty?" said Mrs. Hume, as
her sister's musical voice ceased. " I did not
know you had such poets in Australia."
A Drive 27
" Indeed we have a literature of our own,"
said Mrs. McDonald, " and very beautiful
things are written by Australians. You have
much to learn about this great island continent
of ours."
" Now we must turn toward home," said Mr.
McDonald, and his wife said, " Drive back
past Tarnpin, it is so beautiful about there.
Tarnpin, or Flowing Water, is a favourite spot
hereabouts. The Blacks have a quaint story
about its origin, and I will tell it to you as old
Tepal, a black chief, told it to me.
" It was the day time, and all the animals
died of thirst. So many died that the Magpie,
the Lark, and the Crane talked together, and
tried to find water to drink.
" ' It is very strange,' said the Magpie, * that
the Turkey Buzzard is never hungry.'
" ' He must, then, have water to drink,' said
the wise Crane.
" ' He flies away every morning, very early,'
said the Lark.
28 Our Little Australian Cousin
" ' Let us rise before the sun and watch him,'
said the Magpie, and they agreed.
" Next morning the Turkey Buzzard rose
early and crept from his wuurie.1 He looked
this way and that and saw no one. Then he
flew away. He knew not that two bright eyes
peeped at him through the leaves of the great
gum tree. He did not hear the ' peep, peep '
with which the Lark awoke his friends. The
Lark, the Magpie and the Crane flew high to
the sky. They flew so high that they looked as
specks on the sun. The Turkey Buzzard saw
them but thought they were small, dark clouds.
He flew to a flat stone and lifted it up. And the
water gushed from a spring in the rock and he
drank and was satisfied. Then he put back the
stone and flew away.
" The three friends laughed and were glad.
Quickly they flew to the stone, singing, ' We
have caught him ! ' and drank of the fresh
'Hut.
A Drive 29
water. They bathed in the pool and flapped
their wings until the waters rose and became a
lake of clear water. Then they spread their
wings and flew over the earth, and the waters
dropped from their wings and fell to the thirsty
earth. They made there water holes, and ever
since there have been drinking places all over the
land."
" My but that's a jolly story," said Fergus, the
irrepressible. " Did you really know the Blacks,
Aunt Mildred? Are there any around here?"
" None very near," said his aunt. " Indeed,
they are mostly dying out. People who have
lived here a long time used to know them and
say they were a kindly people. They were very
fond of children and I do not think they were
cruel or quarrelsome unless roused to anger.
They have nearly all buried themselves in the
Bush, but you will be likely to see some of them
at our station. There used to be a number
around the { run,' and when we first came out
30 Our Little Australian Cousin
we had some rather curious experiences with
them. We do not see many now, their experi-
ences with white people were not always pleas-
ant, I am sorry to say."
" I hope we shall see some of them," said
Fergus.
" I like black people," said little Jean.
"What does she know of Blacks?" asked
her aunt, smiling, and her mother replied,
" Some people from the States came to our
farm one fall for the shooting and they had a
black nurse for the baby. Jean took a great
fancy to her, and we simply couldn't keep her
from toddling after Dinah. She was a faithful
soul, so good and kind."
" Those who have lived here for many years
say that if you once make a friend of a Black he
will do anything for you," said Mr. McDonald.
" I never had any trouble with them around my
station, though other squatters did."
" I think it's all in the way you treat them,"
A Drive 31
said his wife. " Of course the Blacks near the
' run ' are not the wild Blacks from the interior,
the man-eating kind, but a gentler race."
" Well, I hope we shall see some of them,"
said Fergus. " But I shouldn't care for can-
nibals."
CHAPTER IV
ON THE WAY TO THE " RUN "
It was a bright morning when they left Syd-
ney to go to the station, taking the train early
in the day, for there was a railway ride of sev-
eral hours before them, as well as a long drive.
" Now you are going to see something of Aus-
tralian life," said Mr. McDonald. " Life in
Sydney or Melbourne is very little different from
that in Liverpool or Glasgow. On the big sta-
tions it is much the same as on the country places
at home, but my station is typical of Australia."
" Is it in the Bush, Uncle? " asked Fergus.
" Hear the laddie talking like an old squat-
ter," laughed Mr. McDonald. " Yes and no.
You see the Australians who live in the cities
consider all the rest of the continent the Bush,
32
On the Way to the " Run " 33
but to those who live in the grazing and farm-
ing districts the country inland is the Bush or
the ' Back Country.' Our run is beautifully situ-
ated just on the edge of the Dividing Range,
and we are lucky enough to have a river run-
ning through one side, so that the run is seldom
dry."
"What is the Dividing Range? " asked Fer-
gus, who was determined to understand every-
thing he heard. If he did not, it was not be-
cause he did not ask questions enough about it.
" The Dividing Range is the high land which
separates the east and west of the continent
and runs from north to south along the coast.
It is sometimes called the Australian Alps, and
some of the peaks are 7,000 feet high. The
eastern part of Australia runs in a long strip
of fertile ground along the coast. West of this
are the mountains and beyond them is a high
plateau which slopes down to the plains of Cen-
tral Australia. This central portion is an al-
34 Our Little Australian Cousin
most unknown country. There are no great
rivers and little rain. The land is terribly dry
and very hot. Many who have gone to explore
it have never returned and no one knows their
fate. Perhaps they have died of thirst, perhaps
they have been killed by the Blacks. This part
of the country is called ' Never, Never Land.' "
" Uncle Angus," asked Fergus, as his uncle
paused. " When you came to your station were
you a squatter? "
His uncle's hearty laugh rang out. " No,
my boy, but I bought my run from a squatter,"
he answered. " The days of squatters were
about over when I came out. What do you
know about squatters?"
" I don't know anything," answered Fergus.
" Only I have heard the name and thought
maybe you would tell us about them."
" In the old times, before Australia had
started in the trade, the wool from the sheep on
the runs was very important to her," said Mr.
On the Way to the " Run " 35
McDonald. " Men would come out to the
country, and, not having very much money, they
could perhaps buy a small homestead and stock
it, but little more. They would have to have
large tracts of land to pasture their sheep, but
had not money enough to buy the land. They
therefore settled down and took what they
needed without permission, and so were called
' squatters.' The Government did not interfere
with them, because the wool from their sheep
was needed and because the country was so big
there seemed land enough for everyone. In
time the matter was arranged by the Govern-
ment's dividing the back country into grazing
districts, which all the squatters might use by
paying a yearly rent."
" How did the squatters keep their sheep
from other people?" Fergus inquired.
" Every flock had its shepherd, who led it
wherever food and water were to be found,"
was the answer. " The life of a shepherd was
36 Our Little Australian Cousin
a lonely one. He had to watch the sheep and
lambs and see that the dingoes1 did not get at
them. The shepherd never saw any other people
except the man who brought his supplies from
the station. His dogs were his only friends,
and often these shepherd dogs are marvels of
intelligence and loyalty. For a time the squat-
ters prospered and some of them grew im-
mensely wealthy. These were called c Wool
Kings ' and lived on their stations extravagantly,
building houses such as you saw at Wuurna-wee-
weetch.
" But sheep raising is not all plain sailing in
Australia. Rabbits were brought into the coun-
try, and these proved to be a regular plague,
destroying the grass, so that the Government
passed a law that squatters must help to exter-
minate them, which put them to a great expense.
" When I came here twenty years ago, I got
my station from a squatter who had worked it
for years and had made enough to sell out and
1 Wild dogs.
On the Way to the "Run" 37
go to Sydney, where it had always been his ambi-
tion to live. I have worked hard and been suc-
cessful. When you see our station I think you
will want to stay in this country instead of trying
to find gold in ' Never, Never Land,' " he said
to his brother-in-law.
" Perhaps I shall, but I have no money to buy
a station and I can't be a squatter now," said
Mr. Hume.
Their way lay through a beautiful semi-trop-
ical country. The train moved through fertile
valleys, fine woodland and green vales, and
bridged cool mountain streams. When their
stopping place was reached and they alighted
from the train to find a comfortable cart and
good horses awaiting them, Fergus exclaimed,
" It doesn't seem to me that travelling in Aus-
tralia is very hard work."
" Wait till you get to the Bush," said his
uncle. " And have to tramp it with your swag *
1 Name given to the pack carried on the back.
38 Our Little Australian Cousin
upon your back, make your own supper over a
twig fire, stir your tea in a billy 1 with a euca-
lyptus twig, and roll up in a blanket to sleep,
waking up to find a dukite snake taking a nap
on your breast, — that's real Australia for you."
u I like your kind better," said Jean with a
shudder, but Fergus said boastingly,
" Well, I'm not afraid of the Bush."
" Wait and see," said his father as they drove
through the gate which led into Mr. McDon-
ald's run.
It was a beautiful station and well suited for
the sheep farming from which the owner had
made his money. The land lay in a triangle, on
two sides of which was a considerable stream
while the main road formed the third boundary.
The land was fenced with stout rail fences while
the paddocks were fenced with wire.
The house was built of stone, of one story,
with a broad veranda running around all four
1 Bucket for water, carried by Australians.
On the Way to the " Run " 39
sides, shaded in vines and looking on a garden
in which gorgeous-hued flowers bloomed in
brilliant beauty. There was an air of great com-
fort about the place. Hammocks were slung in
the porches and easy chairs were placed invi-
tingly about.
Long windows clear to the floor opened into
the living rooms and a wide hallway ran through
the middle of the house. On one side was a
drawing room, at the other, dining room and
living room. The guests caught glimpses of
books and music as they were ushered into their
cool bedrooms. These opened on to the veranda
and were cool and pleasant, with gay chintz
and white hangings. What a delightful visit
the children had at the run ! It was perhaps
pleasanter for them than for the grown folk,
for Sandy, Mr. and Mrs. McDonald's only
child, a boy of ten, was a perfect imp of mis-
chief, and he led his two cousins into everything
that he could think of. Fergus was not far
40 Our Little Australian Cousin
behind, and Jean trudged after the boys, grow-
ing strong and rosy in the Australian sunshine.
" Australia is making the greatest change in
Jean," said her mother to Mrs. McDonald one
day, as they sat upon the veranda. " At home
she was so shy she would scarcely look at any
one. She seemed delicate and I was worried
for fear she would never learn to take care of
herself in this world."
" She will grow up into the most self-reliant
kind of a girl in the Bush," said her sister.
" She is a dear little girl and I think there is
plenty of strength of character under her shy
little ways."
" I wonder what the three are doing now,"
said Jean's mother. " It has been some time
since we heard a shriek of any kind — oh —
what is that?" for as she spoke there came a
scream so loud and piercing from the shrubbery
that both women sprang to their feet and rushed
across the lawn.
On the Way to the " Run " 4 1
Midway between the house and the garden
they met the three children, both boys holding
Jean's hands and helping her to run to the house,
while the little girl, her face covered with blood
and tears, was trying not to cry.
" Jean's hurt," cried Sandy.
" So I should judge," said his mother, trying
to keep calm, while both boys began to talk at
once, so that no one could understand a word
they said.
Mrs. Hume gathered Jean in her arms and
carried her quickly to the house, where she
washed the little, tear-stained face. The child's
lip was terribly cut and she was badly fright-
ened, but not seriously hurt, and as she cuddled
down in her mother's arms she sighed,
" Nice mother ! I don't mind being hurt when
you are here to fix me up."
" Tell me what happened, dear," said her
mother, as she stroked the fair hair.
" We were playing," Jean said. " The boys
42 Our Little Australian Cousin
had sticks and we heard a queer rustle in the
bushes. Sandy said it was a snake and beat the
bushes to drive him out. It ran out just in front
of Fergus and I thought it would bite him, and
I didn't want anything to happen to my brother
so I ran up behind him just as he swung his
stick over his shoulder to hit the snake. He hit
me in the mouth, but of course he didn't mean
to, Mother. I screamed because it hurt me so,
and then I tried not to cry because I knew it
would worry you. It doesn't hurt so badly now,
Mother."
" I'm sorry it hurts at all, darling," her
mother held her close. " You were a good
child and brave not to cry. Crawl up in the
hammock now and take a nap, and you will
feel better when you wake up."
" I hope Fergus and Sandy won't do any-
thing very interesting while I am asleep," the
little girl murmured drowsily, as she dropped
off to sleep.
On the Way to the " Run " 43
Fergus and Sandy undoubtedly would. They
were very kind to Jean, but there was no doubt
that they found the little girl a clog upon their
movements. Fergus was used to taking care of
her, but Sandy had no sisters and he sometimes
wished the little cousin would not tag quite so
much.
" You can't really do anything much when a
girl is tagging around," he said to his mother,
but that long-suffering woman proved strangely
unsympathetic.
" I think I shall keep Jean always if her being
here keeps you out of mischief," she said with
a smile, and Sandy answered,
" Well, keep Fergus too, then."
No sooner was Jean asleep than the boys de-
cided the time had come for them to carry out
a plan long since formed, but laid aside for a
convenient season. At one side of the run was
a little lake, formed where one of the boundary
streams was dammed. A windmill carried water
44 Out Little Australian Cousin
from this to a platform and upon this were iron
tanks from which pipes carried water through
the house. The boys had decided to climb to
the top of the reservoir and slide down the pipes,
which seemed to them would be an exciting per-
formance. The climbing up was not difficult
and Sandy took the first slide.
" It's great fun," he shouted. " Let me have
another! " as he clambered up again.
" It's my turn," cried Fergus, astride of the
pipe.
" Let me. You wait," said Sandy, who was
used to playing alone and not to having any-one
dispute with him.
"I tell you it's my turn!" Fergus' temper
rose. " You don't play fair."
There was a scramble and a cry, both boys
lost their balance and fell, and the sound of
breaking glass crashed through the air.
Both mothers rushed to the scene to find two
pairs of arms and legs waving wildly from the
On the Way to the " Run " 45
hot-bed, while broken glass was scattered hither
and yon.
" You dreadful boys, you have fallen right
into the flower beds and broken the glass ! Are
you badly hurt?" cried Mrs. McDonald, as
each mother dragged out a son.
Very crestfallen were the boys as they stood
up, their faces covered with scratches and
Sandy's hand badly cut.
" What were you doing? " asked both moth-
ers sternly.
" Sliding down the water pipe," said Sandy.
" Quarrelling," said Fergus.
" Nice way to spend the morning," said Mr.
McDonald, who appeared at that moment from
the stables. " Go and get washed up and we'll
see if you have any broken glass in your cuts."
When the damages were repaired neither boy
was found to be much hurt, but Jean begged so
hard that they should not be punished, that
the two were let off for that time.
46 Our Little Australian Cousin
" The next piece of mischief you get into
you'll be sent to bed for a day to rest up and
think it over," said Sandy's father, and the boys
assured him that they would never, never do
anything again as long as they lived.
CHAPTER V
LIFE AT DJERINALLUM
While the children played happily together
the grown folk had many an anxious consulta-
tion as to ways and means.
11 I wish I could persuade you to stay with
us, Elsie," said her sister. " Let your husband
go by himself, on his wild goose chase after
gold."
"Oh, I can't do that," said Mrs. Hume.
" I can rough it, and it will do Fergus good,
but I am afraid of it for Jeanie."
" Let me keep her," said Mrs. McDonald
eagerly. "Oh, do, Elsie! I have always
wanted a little girl to pet and take care of and
Jean will be ever so much safer with me than
travelling through the wild country you are
going into on your way to the Gold Fields."
47
48 Our Little Australian Cousin
" It might be best," Mrs. Hume said thought-
fully. " I will talk it over with Fergus and
leave Jean in your care, going with him, if he
agrees."
Mr. Hume, however, had very decided ideas
as to what was best to be done.
" Since your sister and her husband are so
anxious to keep you, my dear, I am sure it will
be best for you and Jean to stay here at the run.
My trip to the Gold Fields is only an experi-
ment. It will be a long, hard journey and an
expensive one, and I may not find anything
worth doing when I get there, and in that case
will return and take up stock farming. McDon-
ald offers me a chance now, but I feel as though
I ought to make the trial before accepting help.
" I will take Fergus with me. The trip will
not hurt him and he would drive you distracted
if left here with Sandy. I shall do better work
feeling that you and the lassie are safe and well
cared for here."
Life at Djerinallum 49
" I hate to have you go without me, but I
must do as you think best," said his wife. So it
was arranged, and with a heavy heart Jean saw
her father and brother drive away from the run,
starting on their long trip to the Gold Fields.
"Why does father have to go away?" she
asked her uncle, who had taken her before him
for a ride on his big, black horse, " The Bruce."
" He has gone to hunt for gold, lassie, so you
can have fine clothes to wear," he answered.
" I'd rather have father here and not have
fine clothes," she said, her lip quivering. " How
do they get gold in fields, Uncle? I didn't know
it grew like flowers and grass."
" It doesn't, lassie," he answered. " They
just call the place they find it the Gold Fields.
It is dug out of the earth, where it is found
mixed with sand and stone."
" Well, where are the Gold Fields and who
found there was gold there? " asked Jean. She
liked her burly uncle, who was always ready to
50 Our Little Australian Cousin
talk to her and who explained everything about
the run so pleasantly.
" The Gold Fields extend all over Western
Australia," said Mr. McDonald. " Gold was
first discovered here in 1823 and people have
gone mad with gold fever ever since. The pre-
cious metal has been found in Victoria, New
South Wales and Queensland, but recently it has
been discovered in Western Australia. The
miners often strike a good lead and grow very
rich, but it is a hard life and especially so in the
districts where there is little water. In the old
days men often died of thirst, but now they have
ways of storing the rain which falls in the wet
season so that they do not suffer much.
" There are many interesting things about the
gold regions if the life there is hard. Trains
of camels carry the swag of the miners across
the sandy deserts. These beasts were imported
especially for this work, since they can go longer
without water than any other animals, and often
Life at Djerinallum 51
it is a long ways from one good water hole to
another. The miners ' peg out ' their claims in
the new places and set to work sifting the sands
in which are found the grains of gold, sometimes
as large as nuts. Soon there is a camp started.
Little canvas huts dot the country. Then if the
camp proves successful, houses are built and
finally a city will grow up, almost as if by magic.
One city, that of Ballarat, has grown in twenty-
five years to be one of the handsomest in Aus-
tralia. It has broad streets, fine houses, and a
beautiful park. The swamp land near by has
been made into a lake surrounded by velvet-
turfed pleasure grounds, planted with wonderful
trees and flowers. Kalgoorlie, in only ten years,
is almost a golden city, to which water is
brought two hundred miles in pipes, to drive
the engines which extract the gold from the
quartz."
" Thank you, Uncle, for telling me all about
It," said Jeanie. " I hope father will find a good
52 Our Little Australian Cousin
mine and then sell it out quickly and come back
to buy a run near you. That is what I should
like best of anything."
" So should I, child," her uncle smiled at her.
11 Here we are at the stables. Jump down and
run and call Sandy for me and I'll take you both
with me while I go over the sheds."
" I've always wanted to know about these
queer looking sheds," said Jean as she and Sandy
trudged after her uncle.
" This long building is the wool shed," he
said. " Now it is empty and quiet, but when it
is shearing time there is noise enough. At this
end is the wool press, and the shearing board
runs along the sides of the shed. Sheep used to
be sheared by hand, but Lord Wesley's brother
invented a machine for shearing which is a won-
derful thing. Would you two youngsters like
to ride around the run with me? I have to go
over to the paddocks to-day."
"Oh, Uncle, may I ride?" exclaimed Jean.
Life at Djerinallum 53
" I had a little Shetland pony at home and I
have missed him so much."
" You may ride Sandy's pony, and he will
take Wallace, while I will ride ' The Bruce,' "
said Mr. McDonald, and both the children
fairly jumped with delight. They rode around
the run, the master looking everything over care-
fully.
" Every paddock has its own flock," he ex-
plained to Jean. " In one the ewes are kept,
in another the wethers, and then there is a
paddock for the horses and another for the
cows."
" How do you get so many animals fed,"
asked Jean.
" They graze on the grass, and those great
fields of alfalfa over there are grown to use as
food. It has to be irrigated and is quite a little
trouble, but it pays in the end. That house is
where the manager lives, with his family and
the jackaroos."
54 Our Little Australian Cousin
" What is a jackaroo? Some kind of a bird? "
asked Jean. Sandy shouted with laughter and
his uncle smiled as he answered,
" No, child, jackaroo is the name given to the
young fellows who are new at the station and
just learning Australian customs. All kinds of
jokes are played on them by the old hands and
they have a hard time at first. A story is told
of some Englishmen who had just come out and
were going hunting. They hadn't found any
game and so they asked some station hands if
they had seen any. ' There's a jackaroo down
near the water hole,' said the cook, wickedly,
so the two men hurried away to shoot the
strange animal, and lo ! it was a young man
like themselves."
"What do jackaroos do, Uncle?" asked
Jean.
" Well, they have to learn to do all the work
there is to do at a station, so that some day they
may get to be managers or even run stations of
Life at Djerinallum 55
their own. They have to ride the boundary
every day to see that there are not holes in the
fences, and that the water holes are full. Only
one man is needed to look after 7,500 sheep, so
he is kept pretty busy."
" There are so many buildings somebody must
have to look after them. Do the jackaroos do
that? " asked Jean.
" No, all the repair work on the station is
given to a set of men who dig water holes, build
fences, and do any necessary carpenter work.
These draw their groceries, meat, and so forth
from the stores, but do not eat at our tables. I
don't believe Wu Ling: would stand it if he had
to cook for them."
" Isn't he funny? " said Jean, laughing.
" He lets me come in the kitchen and watch him
bake brownie, but he won't allow Fergus or
Sandy there at all. Do all stations have Chinese
cooks? "
" Not all, but a great many do. The Chinese
56 Our Little Australian Cousin
are the best cooks we can get. A great many
people hate the yellow-skinned Celestials and
raise a hue and cry about a ' White Australia,'
but I don't know what we of the far stations
would do without them."
" Wu Ling cooks very good things," said
Sandy. " But he got very angry when Fergus
called him ' pig tail.' "
" That wasn't nice of Fergus," said Jean.
" What beautiful thistles and sweet briar,
Uncle."
" Not beautiful in our eyes," said her uncle,
as they rode by a magnificent clump of sweet
briar, the pink blossoms making a lovely spot
of colour against the purple of the thistles.
" Some patriotic Scot brought the first thistles
to Australia, and an English family the roses,
and many's the day I have wished they never
came. The soil here is so rich that everything
grows fast, and the thorny plants have spread
all over the land, in some places growing so
Life at Djerinallum 57
thick that they have ruined whole tracts of
grazing land. They are nearly as bad as the
foxes. These were brought to destroy the rab-
bits which ate up the crops, but Mr. Reynard
likes chicken far better than hare, and he has
increased so rapidly that it is almost impossible
to get rid of him, though rewards are offered
for his scalp and in one year over thirty thou-
sand skins were brought in."
" Do they scalp rabbits, too? " asked Jean.
" Trapping rabbits is a regular Australian
business," said her uncle. " A good trapper
can make £4 a week catching them, and the
fur is used to make felt hats."
" There are lots and lots of interesting things
in your country," said Jean brightly.
" But shearing time will be the fun," said
Sandy.
" Oh, I'd like to see them shear. May I,
Uncle? " cried Jean.
" Yes, indeed, you may see anything you like.
58 Our Little Australian Cousin
We'll make a regular station-hand of you before
you are done," he laughed.
" I'm only a little jackaroo now," she said.
" What is that queer noise? It seemed to come
from under those trees."
" That is the lyre bird, isn't he a handsome
fellow? See, there he is beneath that bottle tree.
We have a pair of them and never allow them
to be touched, as they are quite rare in this part
of the country, though found quite frequently
in the scrub.
" The tail of the male is just like an old-fash-
ioned lyre, and it is one of the most interesting
of our birds."
" Did you say that was a bottle tree? " asked
Jean.
" Yes. Don't you see it is shaped just like a
huge bottle, the branches growing out of the
mouth ? The stems have water in them, and
if you are ever lost in the Bush and thirsty,
find a bottle tree and get a drink. The Blacks
THAT IS THE LYRE BIRD, ISN T HE A HANDSOME
FELLOW
Life at Djerinallum 59
eat the roots, which are full of a kind of
gum."
" I never heard of such a place as this," said
Jean. " It seems as if everything in Australia
was useful. Everything but little girls," she
added.
" Little girls are very useful in making other
people happy," said her uncle kindly.
" But I'd like to be really useful and learn to
do something," said Jean.
" You will when you are bigger," he an-
swered. " You must get well and strong before
you can do very much, lassie. But you will be
useful enough as you grow older."
" I don't see why you are in such a hurry to
go to work," said Sandy. " I think you have
a pretty fine time ! "
CHAPTER VI
"lost!"
Life at the run proved pleasant to Jean and
full of Interesting happenings. She missed her
father and Fergus, but she and Sandy soon grew
to be great friends, and many were the thrill-
ing bits of mischief into which he dragged her,
sure that he would escape punishment if Jean
were only to say, " Don't punish Sandy, Uncle
Angus, I did it too."
The little girl loved her Aunt Mildred, but
more than any one at the station her uncle had
won her heart. She grew to be his little shadow,
driving and riding with him, sun-tanned and
rosy, growing strong and healthy in the free
Australian life.
" You are getting as fat as a Chinaman's
60
-Lost!" 6 1
horse, lassie," said her uncle as they rode to the
river one day.
" Why do you say that? " she asked.
" The Chinese are always very kind to their
horses and keep them fat and slick, so that has
grown to be a proverb, though some people say
as ' fat as a larrikin's dog,' instead."
" What is a larrikin? " Jean was growing as
full of questions as Fergus.
" Larrikin is a slang term applied to the idlers
who lounge about the cities, a dog at their heels,
like the 'Enery 'Awkins of London or Glasgow.
There are many of them in Australia and they
have formed a kind of secret society among
themselves, which is not a very good thing.
Here is a fine bit for a canter, Jeanie. I'll beat
you to the big eucalyptus."
" No, you won't." Jean chirruped to her
pony and was off like a shot through the open
paddock, jumping a fence as if on wings. She
loved to gallop when the air was filled with the
62 Our Little Australian Cousin
fragrance of the wattle and the gum, and she
had grown to ride like a little centaur.
" Well done," cried her uncle as she drew up
at the gate, laughing and breathless, her horse
half a head in advance of his. " We are so
near to ' Mason's run,' I think we'll have time
to stop there. I want to see him about several
things, so we'll ride on."
" Very well, Uncle. Is it a sheep run? "
" No, cattle. You have not seen one yet, so
keep your eyes open and learn all you can.
Mason breeds the long horns, sullen beasts, but
good stock."
" I shall be glad to see them," she said, and
they cantered up to the homestead, which was
very unlike her uncle's station.
Built of wood, with a galvanized-iron roof,
the house stood on piles, but between each pile
and the house was a tin plate to keep the white
ants from climbing into the rooms. Several
gins 1 came out to see who the strangers were,
1 Black women.
" Lost I " 63
the first that Jean had seen, and she looked at
them curiously. Not more so, however, than
they looked at her, for they stared at her and
whispered together.
" They don't know what to make of you,
1 Lassie with the lint white locks,' " her uncle
laughed. " The young gin wants to know if you
are Great Baiame's golden child. It's your fair
hair, I suppose."
Jean's hair was light golden and floated all
about her face like a halo.
" Great Baiame is their god, good spirit, and
they think you are a goddess. That gin wants
to touch your hair. Better let her, she won't
hurt you."
Jean smilingly bent her head and let the black
woman run her fingers over her shining tresses.
The gin smiled and, seized by a sudden impulse,
Jean said,
" She may have a curl if she wants it, Uncle.
I have plenty and mother won't care." He
64 Our Little Australian Cousin
handed her his knife and she snipped off a silken
strand, which the gin took with many expres-
sions of delight.
" You have certainly made a hit among the
Blacks," said her uncle teasingly. " She will
wear that as a charm and be the envy of all the
tribe. Your hair is pretty.
The world to me knows no fairer sight
Than your long hair veiling your shoulders white,
As I tangle my hand in your hair my pet.' "
he quoted as he stroked the shining mane.
" Uncle, I don't think cattle runs are as nice
as sheep runs. There aren't any wool sheds,
but just open yards."
" These are the stock and branding yards.
You see the cattle roam the hills, some of the
runs being as large as five thousand square
miles, on which the cattle find their own food
and water."
" If they wander over all that distance, how
do the owners ever tell their own cattle? " asked
Jean.
" Lost ! " 65
" Every beast is branded, that is, he has his
owner's mark burnt into his hide," said her
uncle. " So it is easy to draft out of the mobs
the cattle which belong to other ranchmen. The
young oxen are sent to the coast to be fattened
for market, while the old cattle are sent to the
rendering works, where they are made into tal-
low and beef extract. The stockman's life is
harder than that of the shepherd, and danger-
ous because of the bullocks' stampedes, when
they break loose and often run down horses and
men in their frantic rush for freedom."
" I like the sheep run much better," said Jean.
" See that flying squirrel, Uncle ! I think they
are the cunningest little things. Who do you
suppose is hiding behind that tree? I heard
some one laughing."
" Look and see," her uncle smiled. Jean
jumped down from her horse and peered behind
the tree. There she saw a little bird perched
on one leg which sang a pretty little song, al-
66 Our Little Australian Cousin
ways breaking off with "H-ah-ha! Hoo-hoo
hoo ! "
" That's a laughing jackass, Jeanie," said her
uncle. " He's a funny little fellow, isn't he?"
" He isn't a bit pretty," said Jean.
" No, but he's very useful, for he eats snakes
and lizards and all kinds of things, and there is
a law forbidding any one to kill him."
" You have so many queer things in Aus-
tralia," said Jean. " Down by the river Sandy
and I found the queerest thing. It looked part
animal and part bird. It had a big flat bill like
a duck and fur on its body like a rat, and it had
webbed feet and a long bushy tail. Sandy said
it was a beastie and was called a water mole, but
we found its nest in a kind of tunnel running
from the water's edge under ground, and in the
nest were eggs."
" That was a platypus, or water mole," said
Mr. McDonald. " He is an animal but lays
eggs like the birds. There is another animal in
mm-
that was a platypus, or water mole, said mr.
Mcdonald.
" Lost ! " 67
Australia which does too, the spiny ant-eater.
He looks like a hedgehog but has a queer, long
bill with a long tongue covered with sticky stuff
with which he licks up the ants off the ground.
He hasn't a nest, but carries his eggs around in
a kind of a pocket until they are hatched."
" It certainly is a queer place, with trees that
shed their bark every year, pears that have hard
wooden rinds, cherries with the stones outside,
trees with flowers and seeds growing in the
leaves and animals that lay eggs," said Jean.
" And little girls that chatter and ride like
monkeys," cried Sandy's teasing voice, as he
rode up behind them. " I can pass you ! "
" No, you can't ! " cried Jean, and she gal-
loped off, her cousin after her, though he did
not catch up with her till she rode up to the
veranda and jumped off her pony, laughing
heartily.
Some weeks later all was hurry and bustle at
the station. Shearing was to begin the next day
68 Our Little Australian Cousin
and there was a great deal to be done to make
ready for the great event. Shearers were com-
ing in, some riding, some trudging along on
foot, carrying their swags. There were huts for
them to sleep in, and tents were being spread in
the open. Mr. McDonald left all the details of
this work to his manager, a young Australian
who had been born and raised on a sheep run.
At first Jean was much interested in seeing
the shearing and stood in the shed watching, as
the engine whistled to begin. The pens were
full of sheep who did not at all know what they
were there for, but who did know that they did
not like it. They baa-ed and bawled, and with
the noise of the machinery it was deafening in
the sheds. As the machine starts every shearer
grabs a sheep from the pen, choosing the one
that looks the easiest to shear, he throws it with
his knee and rapidly guides the little knife-like
cutters of the machine over the fleece, which
falls from the animal in one huge piece. The
« Lost ! " 69
sheep is then released to run, pink and shivering,
to the yard again. The " picker up " catches
up the fleece and takes it to the wool bin, while
the shearer turns to the pen to catch another
victim. He has to be quick because the sharp
eye of the overseer is upon him. He walks up
and down, watching every one. The " pen-
ners-up " must not let a single pen be empty,
" the pickers-up " must keep the floor clean, the
shearers must shear evenly as well as closely.
If they cut a ragged fleece the wool will grow
badly the next year and some of it will be
wasted.
The shearers are paid by the number of sheep
they shear, and they work very fast, every man
trying to see if he cannot be the " ringer," as
they call the man who has sheared the great-
est number of sheep at the close of the shear-
ing.
The shearers earn five dollars for every hun-
dred sheep sheared, and an ordinarily good
70 Our Little Australian Cousin
workman will shear a hundred sheep in a day,
while extra good ones have sheared three hun-
dred in a day. As the shearers have no expenses,
their food and lodging being given them, they
can make a good deal of money during the
season.
The picker-up takes the fleece to the wool
roller, who trims it and rolls it up to be inspected
by the classer. He decides as to its quality and
puts it in the proper bin. It is then baled,
marked with the quality and the owner's brand,
and taken by wagon to the nearest shipping
station.
The sheep are counted, branded and dipped
to prevent their being covered with wood ticks,
which bite so fiercely, and then are returned to
their paddocks. There is no more attractive
sight in the world than an immense flock of the
long-wooled Australian sheep, and none more
forlorn than the shivering droves of freshly-
sheared animals.
"Lost!" 71
Jean watched until she was tired. The smell
of the wool, the noise, the heat, the cries of the
tormented sheep, all turned her sick, and she fled
to the house. There things were little better.
Everybody was busy. Aunt Mildred had no
time to notice a little girl. Sandy was away, no
one knew where, and, worst of all, her mother
was laid low with one of her terrible headaches.
Jean knew these of old, and that it was no use
to expect to even speak to her mother before
night. She felt forlorn and lonely and decided
to take a ride.
No one was at the stable to saddle Dandy, but
she had learned to ride as well without a saddle
as with, so she got on the pony's back and rode
toward the river.
Away from the noise of the shearing shed,
how quiet and lovely it all seemed. The wind
swayed gently the branches of the great she-oaks
as a mopoke's mournful note came from the
gum trees. Flying foxes flapped their wings and
72 Our Little Australian Cousin
she came upon the playground of a satin-bower *
bird, the first she had ever seen, although her
uncle had told her about them. She rode farther
into the wood than she intended and, feeling
tired, she got off Dandy and, throwing the reins
over a bush, sat down under a tree to rest.
" I'm so tired," she said to herself, " I think
I will take a little nap. This looks just the place
for a fairy ring and perhaps the elves will come
to dance while I am asleep."
She lay down under the huge tree about which
ferns grew so thickly as to form a green curtain.
Dandy browsed in the grass near by, every now
and then pricking up his dainty ears and work-
ing his velvety nose as if something he did not
like was near. Then his reins pulled loose from
the bush and he wandered away to nibble at a
tempting bit of turf a little distance away.
1 This bird makes a play-ground before the tree in which
it builds its nest. It has a floor of sticks, and over this is
built a little bower into which are woven bright feathers,
white shells, etc.
" Lost ! " 73
Another tempted him and he was soon out of
sight, hidden by the great ferns which grew up
above his pretty head.
As he disappeared there was a little rustle in
the bushes and two eyes peered at the sleeping
child. Then a hand reached out and warily
touched a fold of her little blue gingham frock.
Jean stirred in her sleep and smiled. She was
dreaming that her father had come back and
that he took her in his strong arms and carried
her away, away, and she never wanted him to
put her down. The scent of the wild blooms
was in her nostrils, and she did not wake when
two arms cautiously raised her from the ground
and holding her lightly yet carefully, so that
no branch might brush against her, carried her
far into the deep and lonely wood. It was per-
haps an hour that the man carried her and she
did not wake. Then she opened her eyes to
find herself in the arms of a big Black. She
screamed in fright, but he spoke gently to her.
74 Our Little Australian Cousin
" Missa not 'fraid. Me not bad Black. Take
Missa home."
" Where is my pony. I would rather ride
him," she cried, struggling, and the Black put
her down.
" Pony all gone," he said. " Missa very
tired, me show Missa my gin. She very sick,
want to see white baby, with gold for hair.
Hear all about her from other gin. Then carry
home. Black very much like Missa." He
smiled again and his face looked kind. " Let
me carry Missa or we not get there soon," he
said coaxingly, and not knowing what else to do
Jean allowed him to pick her up and carry her
again. He walked fast, but she did not see the
river or the house and she began to grow fright-
ened. It grew dark and the air was full of fly-
ing things, so large as to seem like birds and
so small as to seem like baby mice with wings.
The bird songs were stilled ; only the soft chirp-
ing of the tree insects were heard. Then those
" Lost ! " 75
ceased and all was still and dark, and the silent
forest so terrified the child that she began to cry.
" No good for Missa to cry, Missa must go
see gin," said the Black, and as he spoke they
came in sight of a little group of native huts,
bark-thatched and dimly seen through the dark-
ness. Into the smallest of these the Black stum-
bled and set his burden before a couch on which
lay a black woman wasted with fever.
" Brought you white child," he said. The
hut was full of Blacks, but Jean was too fright-
ened and tired to think of any of them, and she
covered her face with her hands and sobbed as
if her heart would break.
CHAPTER VII
JEAN FINDS A FRIEND
Jean stopped crying, for she found that it did
no good. She curled up in the corner of the
dark hut and waited to see what would happen.
The Blacks talked and jabbered around her, but
she could not at all understand what they said,
and she was too little to understand that she was
in any danger. She only wished with all her
heart that she might see her mother. The
Blacks talked together, and Jean at last was so
tired that she curled up on the floor and went
to sleep. When she awoke and opened her eyes
she was surprised to find that the sun was shi-
ning.
She was lying on the ground under a huge
gum tree. A fire of the dry twigs of the gum
tree burned brightly, as a young black boy whom
76
Jean Finds a Friend 77
she had seen the night before fanned it with a
huge fern leaf.
" Little Missa hungry," he said, smiling
kindly down at her. " Kadok make eat. Be
good little girl and lie still."
He took a hatchet which hung on the belt
around his waist and quickly cut off a piece of
bark from the gum tree, then took some flour
from a bag and piled it on the bark. Water
from the water-hole he dipped up with a leaf
cup and mixed with the flour, baking it on the
bark over the fire. Kadok then dipped fresh
water from the water-hole, around which ferns
grew as high as Jean's head, and turned over the
ashes of the fire to roast in them a turkey's egg
which he had found in the bracken.
" Now Missa eat," he said, giving Jean a
piece t)f damper 1 and the egg, with a cup of
water. " Little Missa not be afraid. Kadok
take her to see Mother."
1 Kind of native bread made of flour and water.
78 Our Little Australian Cousin
The boy's face was kind and Jean tried to
smile at him in return, finding courage to say,
" Are you Kadok? How did I get here? "
" I am Kadok, yoia.1 Black man found little
Missa asleep by the corral. Want to show her
to his woman who had no girl, all die. He take
little Missa and mean to bring her back. Then
white police ride and hunt. Black man scared,
hide Missa, hide selves. Some black men say
kill little Missa. Kadok say ' No.' His father
chief, and chief say, ' Take back white Missa
to mother.' So Kadok will take."
" Thank you, Kadok," said Jean simply, ac-
cepting all that he said. " How soon will I see
my mother? "
" Don't know. Missa come long way on
man's back. Must go back on two feet. Take
days and nights. Not cry," he said as her face
clouded. " Kadok take one good care of little
Missa. Eat plenty meal, then we start walk."
'Yes.
jean Finds a Friend 79
Jean was a quiet child. Fergus had always
been the talker and she had been content to
listen to the big brother whom she thought the
most wonderful boy in the world. So she did
not say much in reply to Kadok, but obediently
ate her queer breakfast, which tasted very good
to the hungry little girl. When she had finished
she said timidly to Kadok,
" May I wash my hands and face at the
water-hole? "
" Come with me. I go see," said Kadok.
She followed him to the water, always a precious
thing in Australia, where the dry season makes
it scarce. " Step right behind Kadok, maybe
snakes," said the black boy, and she followed
him close.
Trees had been cut down and many lay about
in the scrub, which grew thick and higher than
Jean's head, so that Kadok had to hold it aside
in many places for her to pass. The water-hole
was clogged with weeds and leaves, but Kadok
8o Our Little Australian Cousin
dug about under the ferns until he found a clean
pool, then filled his flask with water, saying,
" Little Missa wash quick." Jean dipped up
the cool water in her hands, splashing it on her
face. As she dried herself as best she could with
her handkerchief, Kadok cried,
" Jump back, Missa, quick! into the scrub! "
She obeyed without stopping to ask why and
stood trembling, as Kadok came hurriedly after
her.
" Missa one good little girl," he said.
" Mind what Kadok say always so quick, then
Missa get safe home. See there ! " pointing as
he spoke to something on the other side of the
water-hole where Jean had just been washing.
" What Missa see?"
11 I see a big black log," answered Jean.
"What Missa see now," said Kadok, throw-
ing a stick at the log. To the child's astonish-
ment and horror the log rolled on its side, turned
over and opened a huge pair of jaws, closing
them again with a cruel snap.
Jean Finds a Friend 81
" Yamin" 1 said Kadok briefly. He seldom
wasted words. " Eat little Missa if she not
jumped. Now we start take you home. Little
Missa mind Kadok and she go long home all
right. You not afraid?"
" I will mind," said Jean, " and I am not very
much afraid."
" We go," said the boy, and he flung over his
shoulder a bag in which he had put his water
bottle and provisions and started through the
scrub. " Come after me and tell Kadok when
you too tired to walk," he said to the child, and
she followed him obediently.
She did not know why, but she was not at all
afraid of Kadok. She felt he was telling her the
truth when he said he would take her home if she
was a good girl, and she put her whole mind
upon following the difficult trail. The way at
first led through a tangle of tropical vegetation,
then the two struck into a forest of huge gum
1 Crocodile.
82 Our Little Australian Cousin
trees. Overhead the limbs made a lattice-work
of interlacing boughs which gave no shade, as
the leaves were vertical instead of horizontal.
The sun grew hot and beat down upon Jean's
bare head, for she had lost her hat. Her fair
hair caught on the long festoons of gray moss
which hung from the trees, the flying golden
fleece stuck to the rough bark, which was red
with gum and very sticky. Her tangled matted
curls, which had been her mother's joy, hung
about her face and into her eyes so that she could
scarcely see where she was going. The spinifex
prickles stuck her ankles and legs, and at last
she stumbled over a hidden tree root and fell in
a heap upon the ground. At her cry Kadok
turned quickly,
" Missa hurt," he said, coming back and help-
ing her to her feet. " Not cry."
" I won't," she said, choking back her sobs.
" Please let me rest awhile."
" Must go fast to get to water-hole for din-
Jean Finds a Friend 83
ner," said Kadok. " Missa rest a little and then
try go again."
She lay down on the grass and shut her eyes.
Some parrots chattered and screamed in the trees
above her, but the sun was hot and most of the
forest birds were still, except for little twitter-
ings among the branches. Kadok sat silent
beside her. Much was passing in the black boy's
mind. He knew too well the need for haste.
The trip was dangerous for him as well as for
his little white friend; he understood the danger
and she did not. She felt only the danger of the
forest, reptiles, hunger, cold and thirst. But
Kadok had to fear both Blacks and Whites.
Should the two fugitives run into unfriendly
Blacks they would be captured, and if the little
girl was not killed by them she would be taken
far inland, where as yet white people did not
rule, and all hope of restoring her to her people
would be at an end. On the other hand, were
they to fall in with any of the mounted police
84 Our Little Australian Cousin
or squatters, Kadok knew that his story would
never be believed, and that he would be pun-
ished for stealing a white child. All this he
knew, that Jean could not understand, but he
felt that he must make her see the need for hur-
rying if possible.
" Kadok," she spoke first. " How many miles
is it to my mother? "
" It is many hours," answered Kadok. " We
must go fast."
" I will go now," she said, getting up. " I
can walk."
" Why you hurry? " asked Kadok, surprised.
" I want my mother," she answered. u She
will be afraid for me. My father has gone away
to find gold and she will be frightened for me."
She spoke like a little old woman and the black
boy's eyes shone. He saw that he had the way
to manage her without frightening her with the
dangers he dreaded.
"We must go fast so little Missa's mother
Tean Finds a Friend 85
not get sick without her," he said, and the two
started on again.
By noon, slow as the little steps were, they had
covered considerable ground, and they sat down
near a tiny water-hole to eat and rest.
" Missa wash feet and rest while I make eat,"
said Kadok, and Jean bathed her bruised feet,
wrapping them in wet leaves, which Kadok told
her would take out the pain. " Little Missa sit
very still while I find eat," he said. " I not go
away." She was terribly frightened when he
disappeared between the trees, but in a few
minutes she heard the sound of chopping near
by, and in a few moments more, Kadok re-
turned carrying a dead bandicoot.
" Me chop him out of hole in foot of tree,"
he said, grinning broadly. " Him make fine
eat."
He quickly made a fire, and cutting up the
meat in pieces, put some of them on sharpened
twigs, and held them over the fire to roast.
86 Our Little Australian Cousin
" Eat plenty much," he said to Jean as he
handed her several pieces. " We not know when
we find another."
She ate and found the meat very good. Some
of it Kadok had rubbed with a little salt which
he took from his provision bag, and a few bits
he held over the smoke to dry. All this he
wrapped in green leaves and put carefully with
his provisions, getting Jean water in a leaf cup
and making ready to start again.
" You good little wirawi," 1 he said approv-
ingly. " We soon bring to Mother her good
luck."
The afternoon's walk was not quite so bad
as the morning's had been. Kadok struck into
a track which led through the Bush to the main
road. Walking here was not so troublesome and
Jean managed fairly well, though her feet hurt
her cruelly and toward the last Kadok had to
help her along.
1 Woman.
Jean Finds a Friend 87
" Little more walk, Missa," he said encour-
agingly. " We find good camp for night. To-
morrow we get long way to home."
But Jean was almost past thinking of the
morrow, almost past thinking of home. Her
poor little body ached in every muscle, her face
and hands were scratched and bleeding, and she
was faint with hunger and fatigue. She stum-
bled on, Kadok holding her arm, until at last
she could go no longer and would have fallen,
had not the black boy picked her up and carried
her. Laden as he was with his heavy swag, it
was no easy task to carry a heavy child of eight,
but he was a strong, muscular fellow, used to
Bush life, and not tired as was his white charge.
He carried her along the track some twenty
rods, then paused and looked closely into the
forest. It seemed a great wall to shut them off,
but the keen eye of the Black caught an almost
imperceptible opening amongst the leaves and
he left the path once more to tread the mazes
88 Our Little Australian Cousin
of the wood. Only a little distance and he came
to a ruined hut overgrown with moss and creep-
ing plants. It had once been a shepherd's hut
and was a poor place, but at any rate it would
serve as a shelter from the night and Kadok
carried Jean within and laid her down on the
floor.
" Little Missa tired out," he said, pitying the
child's white face, which looked unearthly in
the light of the sunset which streamed through
the open doorway. Jean was too tired to speak.
She looked at him wearily for a moment and
then closed her eyes. " Missa must eat. Not
good to sleep too quick," he said.
He made a fire at the door of the hut, partly
for warmth, for with the sun's going down came
the cool night dews, and partly to drive away
mosquitoes, as well as to cook their supper. He
then brought water from the trough, and made
damper and forced bits of it between the child's
teeth and gave her a drink of water. Little
Jean Finds a Friend 89
pieces of roasted meat he added to her meal,
and at last she sat up and smiled her thanks at
him.
" Good Kadok," she said, " eat some yourself.
You are tired too."
" Not tired like little Missa," he said, showing
his even white teeth in a smile. " Now must
rub feet with wet leaves so they not be sore to-
morrow."
Jean bathed her feet and bound them up in
cool green leaves, tying them on with long
grasses which Kadok brought her. Then she
wrapped herself in the blanket the black boy
took from the swag and, lying down, was soon
sound asleep. Kadok sat for some time at the
door of the hut, feeding the fire, then he too
rolled up in a blanket, and lying across the door-
way, so that no one could come in without his
knowledge, he too fell asleep.
CHAPTER VIII
IN THE BUSH
The sun was high in the heavens when Jean
awoke and at first she did not know where she
was. Then she sat and looked about her, call-
ing " Kadok! " but there was no answer. She
went to the door of the hut and looked about.
The fire was still burning, but there was no sign
of the black boy. Before she had time to be
frightened, however, Kadok's black face peered
from between the trees, across the little clearing
which lay in front of the hut. He smiled when
he caught sight of her.
" Little Missa sleep good, feel good this
morning," he said. " Bujeri, * Kadok make
breakfast."
1 Expression of satisfaction.
90
In the Bush 91
" What have you for breakfast," she asked,
hungry as she had never been at home.
11 Fine fruit, got it top of tree," he said, hand-
ing her a large purple, plum-like fruit which she
ate and thought delicious. Kadok then roasted
in the ashes some scrub turkey eggs he had
found, and these too tasted good, and there was
damper and cool water.
" Missa must hurry start now," said Kadok.
" We long way to go to-day to get to Mother."
" First I must try to fix my hair," she said.
" It catches in the branches so that it hurts."
" Kadok help," he said briefly. He caught
the golden mass in his hand and screwed it up
in bunches on either side of her head, pinning
it tight with some long thorns. Then he tied
about her head a bright handkerchief which he
had worn knotted around the open neck of his
shirt, and rolling up the blankets and packing
up the ration bag, he shouldered his swag, gave
her a hand, and they were off for the day.
92 Our Little Australian Cousin
As they walked Jean noticed that Kadok
looked always to the right and left and that
whenever they came near a hill or a hummock,
he would go ahead before telling her to follow
him.
11 Why do you always look around, Kadok,"
she asked curiously.
" 'Fraid Debil-debil get little Missa or Buba
or maybe Yo-wi or Ya-wi" he answered briefly.
" Who are they? " she asked.
" Debil-debil bad god, enemy of Baiame" 1
he said. " Buba big kangaroo, very bad father
of kangaroos, Yo-wi is fever god, and Ya-wi is
snake god. All very bad for little Missa," and
he shook his black head. He did not tell her
there were others more to be feared than these
monsters of the Blacks' demonology, but he was
worried by tracks he saw in the sand, tracks of
both Blacks and Whites. " Mounted police,
been here," he muttered to himself. " Look
1 Baiame is the chief god of the Blacks.
In the Bush 93
for little Missa. See horse's tracks plain. Here
black man's tracks. Think bad Blacks," and
he knit his brows.
Kadok was at a loss to know what to do. He
did not want to take Jean into the Bush again,
fearing that hard walking such as they had had
the day before would make her too sick to go
on, yet he was afraid to keep on the beaten track.
They kept on till noon, however, and he drew
her aside into the woods to rest and eat her
dinner.
He gave her damper, of which she began to
be tired, bits of smoked meat, and some of the
white larvae to be found in quantities on the
tree roots, and which she thought delicious.
She was hungry, but Kadok gave her some roots
to chew as they walked, saying, " We eat 'gain
before long, must walk some now. 'Fraid we
have big storm," and he looked anxiously at the
sky, over which heavy clouds were passing.
Obediently she followed him again, and he
94 Our Little Australian Cousin
walked quickly, peering through the bushes as if
looking for something. The wind was so fierce
that they made slow progress. It blew so
that Jean was terribly frightened and at last
Kadok stopped in his quick walk and took her
hand.
" Missa 'fraid Storm debil," he said. " I find
place to hide from him. Come ! " and he pulled
her into the bushes which covered a high hill.
Skirting round the hill, he pushed through a
thicket which seemed almost like a wall, drag-
ging Jean along as the storm broke with a sud-
den crash of thunder which frightened the child
terribly.
"Quick!" Kadok cried to her, " We find
cave now ! " and he pushed aside some close
growing tree branches and showed her the en-
trance of a little cave hollowed out of the rock.
" Here we be safe till storm go over," he said,
and Jean gladly crouched in the shelter, watch-
ing with frightened eyes the play of the light-
In the Bush 95
ning. Kadok gave her more roots to chew and
talked kindly to her to soothe her fears.
" This not much storm," he said. " See many
worse than this. Soon over and we go on.
Think Missa see Mother to-morrow. Not
many hours far now."
" Kadok," said Jean, " why are you so good
to me?"
" What you mean? " asked Kadok.
" Why do you take me home? " she asked.
" Black boy not forget friend," he said.
" Not forget enemy. Do mean to Kadok, Ka-
dok do mean to you, if he has to wait five, ten
years. Do Kadok good, he do good to you
when he make chance."
" But I never did you any good," said Jean,
puzzled.
" No, little Missa not. Missa McDonald do
me heap good.1 There was bad man at Station.
1 This story of the poisoning of nearly a whole tribe of
Blacks at a Christmas feast is vouched for on good authority.
96 Our Little Australian Cousin
He no like Blacks near his cattle camp. Blacks
not bad, not hurt white man. White man very
bad. He make feast and tell Blacks to eat.
Black men all eat. Next day all black men dead,
all but Kadok and his father, great Chief. They
very sick, but they not had eat much of white
man's pudding. Chief tell Missa McDonald
they very sick here/' — putting his hand on his
stomach — " She look very sorry and give them
hot drink. It make them very sick and all white
man's pudding come up. Think very strange
that Kadok and Chief only ones not die, but like
Missa McDonald very well for hot drink. Chief
father say to me, ' Some day do kind to Missa
McDonald,' and I say ' Yes.' When little
Missa taken by bad Blacks, Chief say to me,
1 Now time to pay Missa McDonald, take little
Missa home ! ' I go take," and the boy nodded
his head.
Jean did not understand all of his story, but
she could take in enough to know that her Aunt
In the Bush 97
Mildred had saved the life of Kadok and his
father, and she felt that the boy would do all
he could for her.
The storm had ceased and the rain lay in
sparkling drops upon bush and leaf.
" Very wet," said Kadok as he peered out.
" Missa sit here very still while Kadok go and
see. Maybe we go on, maybe not." Jean did
not want to stay alone in the cave. " Let me go
with you," she said pleadingly, but Kadok shook
his head.
" Not good for Missa. Big snakes come out
of holes. Too many. Kadok not go far away.
Missa not come out of cave till Kadok come
back. Missa 'fraid, say prayers to white peo-
ple's Baiame."
Jean thought his advice good and said her
prayers, sitting quietly for a time, looking
through the cave door, though she could see but
little, the screen of vines and bushes was so
thick. She grew tired of sitting still, and moved
98 Our Little Australian Cousin
about the little cave, finding little to interest
her, however. It was hollowed out like a tunnel
deep into the cliff, but was so dark, except right
at the mouth, that she was afraid to explore it.
She took off her shoes, washed her aching feet,
and reaching to the bushes around the cave,
pulled leaves to bind on them as Kadok had
taught her to do. Then she took off the hand-
kerchief he had tied about her head, let down
her long hair and tried to smooth out the tangles
with her fingers. It was no easy task, for the
hair was long, fine and curly, and it was terribly
matted down and snarled. She took a long
thorn and tried to use it for a comb, and after
working a long time had the locks smoothed
out into a fluffy mass of gold on either side her
face. She had been so interested in her work
that she had not noticed how late it was getting
until suddenly it seemed to be growing dark.
She looked out of the cave and saw the gleams
of the golden sunset through the leaves. She
THE LEAVES PARTED AND A BLACK FACE PEERED
THROUGH THE BUSHES."
In the Bush 99
felt hungry. "Where can Kadok be?" she
thought to herself. " He has been gone a long,
long time. Oh, supposing something has hap-
pened to him! What shall I do? " But there
was nothing for her to do but wait, and she sat
at the door of the cave, too frightened to cry,
fearing a thousand dangers the worse because
they were imaginary. Then she heard a crack-
ling of the branches near the cave and sprang
to her feet joyfully, expecting to see Kadok's
black face through the bushes.
" Kadok!" she cried eagerly. The leaves
parted and a black face peered through the
bushes, fierce black eyes gazed at the child, as
she stood speechless with astonishment, gazing
at a perfectly strange Black. She did not speak,
she was too frightened to scream, and the Black
too was silent. With her floating, golden hair,
her wide blue eyes, her fair cheek turned to gold
by the rays of the setting sun, which shone full
upon her, the rest of her body concealed by the
ioo Our Little Australian Cousin
branches with which Kadok had filled the mouth
of the cave, she looked like a creature of air
rather than earth, and so the Black thought her.
With a wild cry of " Kurru! Kurru! " l he let
go his hold of the branches, and Jean could hear
him crashing through the bushes in mad haste
to get away.
1 Kurru-kurru is the Dew Dropper or Mist Gatherer,
Goddess of the Blacks and wife of Munuala, the water god.
CHAPTER IX
HOUSEKEEPING IN A CAVE
She heard Kadok's voice and called to him
excitedly, " Oh, Kadok, come quick ! I am so
frightened! "
" What matter, little Missa?" asked Kadok
as he parted the bushes and looked at her with
anxious face.
" Oh, a strange Black looked at me and ran
away! " she said, bursting into tears.
" Little Missa not cry," said Kadok.
" Brought little Missa meat for supper. What
did black man say? "
" A strange word something like curry curry,"
she said. " He looked frightened too."
" That good," said Kadok. " He think little
Missa not real child. Golden child. Think him
IOI
102 Our Little Australian Cousin
not come again. Kadok glad, for we must stay
here one, two days."
" Oh, Kadok, why? Can't we go to Mother
to-morrow?" her voice was full of tears and
the boy's face clouded.
" Kadok very sorry for little Missa," he said.
" But no can help. Kadok got bad hurt on foot.
No can walk one, two days. Little Missa help
Kadok get well?"
" Oh, Kadok, how did you hurt yourself?"
she asked, as she saw that his foot was covered
with blood.
" Hurt in the scrub," said Kadok, who did
not want to tell her the truth, that he had met
a Black who had thrown his nulla-nulla 1 and
struck him on the foot, though the boy had
managed to get away from him.
" Let me tie it up for you," said Jean. " I've
often seen mother dress Fergus' wounds, for he
was always doing things to himself. He always
had at least one finger tied up in a rag."
1 Big stick, like a shillalah.
Housekeeping in a Cave 103
" Little Missa good," said Kadok as he sat
wearily down beside her. He was worn out and
even his brave spirit sank at this new trouble.
It would be several days before he could walk
well, he knew, and if the Black who had
wounded him had discovered Jean he would
certainly come back. Would they be safe even
for a few hours, he wondered? His chief hope
lay in the fact that if the Black had thought her
a vision, he would fear to return.
Jean scooped up water which stood in a pool
at the door of the cave, washed her pocket-hand-
kerchief and tore it into strips, then bathed
Kadok's foot and tied it up as she had seen her
mother do.
" Thank little Missa," said Kadok. " Feel
better, make eat now."
" No, I shall make supper to-night," said
Jean. " It is time I tried to do something for
you."
She gathered up sticks and bits of bark and
104 Our Little Australian Cousin
laid the fire, which Kadok carefully lighted,
taking one from a box of matches which he had
in his swag, and which he kept tied up in the
skin of an animal to keep them from getting
damp. He had brought back a yopolo 1 from
his hunt in the forest, and wild bee's honey, and
he said to Jean,
" Better not make damper to-night. Save
meal for some day we have not meat.,,
" I am tired of damper anyway," said Jean.
" How shall I cook the meat? "
" Put leaves over hot stones, set yopolo on,
all in his skin, cover him over with earth and he
cook very tender," said Kadok, and she followed
his receipt. There was only a little water left
in the water-hole, and that not fresh.
" Where do you get water, Kadok? " asked
Jean.
" From the spring," he answered. " Not far,
just ten steps in the bushes, straight ahead from
cave, but not safe for little Missa go."
1 Small animal.
Housekeeping in a Cave 105
"Why not? We are both so thirsty," she
pleaded.
" Little Missa's shoes make tracks. Bad
Black come long, see tracks, know white child
here, steal little Missa away."
" Oh, if that's the trouble I can take my
shoes off," she said, laughing, as she pulled off
shoes and stockings. " I will be right back. I
can find it, for you said it was only ten steps
away," and she picked up the billy and hurried
out of the cave in spite of Kadok's " Little
Missa not go. Debil-debil get her! "
She was back before Kadok thought she could
have found the spring, saying brightly,
" Now we have fresh water for our supper,
afterwards I can tie up your foot again."
" Kadok found cup for little Missa," he said,
pulling from his belt a battered tin cup. " Think
white man drop it, little Missa can have honey-
water to drink." He cut a piece of the honey-
comb and put it in the cup of water. Jean
lo6 Our Little Australian Cousin
drank the sweet drink and almost smacked her
lips.
" It is ever so nice, Kadok," she said. " It
tastes like the sugar-water the American chil-
dren's black mammy used to give us."
" Who was that?" he asked curiously.
" There were three children of America came
to stay at my uncle's place, oh, a long time ago
before we came to Australia. They had a nurse,
a black woman. She was ever so black, not
brown like you, Kadok, and so good and nice.
I used to like her very much. That was the
reason I was not afraid, when the black man
told me to come and see the gin who was sick.
I thought he would be good like Dinah and
bring me right back."
" Black people very much like white people,"
said Kadok. " Some black face white heart,
some black all way through. Some white face
very black heart," and the boy shook his head.
" Think yopolo cooked. Him smell fine," he
Housekeeping in a Cave 107
said, sniffing the scent which came from the
fire.
The yopolo was indeed done and delicious.
It was very tender and tasted like spring chicken.
It was a queer supper for the little Scotch girl,
seated cross-legged on the floor of the cave, as
she drank honey-water and cut off bits of meat
for herself and Kadok.
The little housekeeper enjoyed her supper
thoroughly. Having finished, she put fresh green
wood on the fire that the smoke might keep off
the mosquitos, and wrapped the rest of the meat
in leaves to keep for breakfast. She bathed
Kadok's foot, which was swollen and painful,
and tied it up, and then, under the boy's direc-
tions, cut down some leafy branches and moss to
make herself a bed, and wrapped herself in her
blanket to sleep.
When morning came it seemed as if the moth-
er's desire that the little girl should have ex-
periences to make her less childish was to be
108 Our Little Australian Cousin
fulfilled, for Kadok's foot was so painful that he
could not even drag himself about the cave and
Jean had to wait on him as well as to care for
herself. She made breakfast and gathered fresh
leaves and branches and brought water enough
to last all day. Then she made fresh damper
and cut strips of the yopolo meat, drying it in
the sun and smoke under Kadok's directions.
There were provisions enough to last a day or
two and she tried not to worry about things, but
she wished she had something else to do.
Kadok saw she was growing restless and tried
to talk to her, afraid that she would cry. " Lit-
tle Missa not see cave before, not have at home.
Tell about home."
" Oh, it's not at all like this," she said. " It's
very cold, and the mountains are high and beau-
tiful and there are no snakes nor wild things.
It's all farms and sheep and not wild like Aus-
tralia. And in the winter the snow is lovely."
" What is snow? " asked Kadok.
Housekeeping in a Cave 109
"Don't you know what snow is?" she
laughed. " I hardly know how to tell you. It
looks like soft, white feathers and it floats down
from the sky when it's very cold and covers up
the ground like a white blanket. Then it is
lovely, but when the sun comes out and melts
it, it's not nice. Didn't you ever see snow? "
" Never did," said Kadok.
" Oh, Kadok, what's that? " exclaimed Jean,
as a mournful sound came through the forest.
" That messenger of Muuruup, Debill-deb-
ill," said Kadok with a frown. " Muuruup
lives under the ground. He make evil. He
makes lightning and spoils trees and kills peo-
ple. No like hear owl bird. Bring bad storm
or bad luck."
" Oh, I hope he won't bring a storm," said
Jean. " We had storm enough yesterday to
last for awhile. How does Debil-debil make
lightning? "
" Don't know," said Kadok. " Old chief say
no Our Little Australian Cousin
he not make. Say Great Baiame make. He
want to smoke big pipe up in sky, strike match
to light pipe, throw match down to earth, while
smoke — match make lightning."
" If we are going to have another storm I am
going to bring water from the spring while I
can go out of the cave." She was getting very
tired of sitting still.
" Kadok not like little Missa to run round by
herself," said Kadok, but Jean said wilfully,
" I must go by myself if there is no one to go
with me, mustn't I? We've got to have water,"
and she picked up the billy and started for the
spring.
It was cool and pleasant in the woods. She
filled her billy and stopped to gather a handful
of leaves which grew near-by and looked shiny
and pretty, then went back to Kadok.
" You see nothing happens to me," she said.
" You go once too often. You not good little
Missa. You not mind Kadok," he grumbled.
Housekeeping in a Cave m
" I will be good, but really I can't sit still all
day," she said. " See what pretty leaves."
" Very good leaves," said Kadok. " When
little Missa have no water, chew these, not be
thirsty. White men call them hibiscus."
" I'll remember that," said Jean. " Kadok,
tell me a story about when you were a little boy.
What did you used to do at home? "
" Not do very much in wuuries," 1 he said
with a broad grin. " Blacks not have much
home like white people. Like woods better than
wuuries. Like hunt. Make many fine hunt,
sometimes hunt animals, sometimes hunt other
Blacks. Very good eat, before white man
comes," he hastened to add as he saw Jean's
expression of terror. " Not eat people now."
" I should hope not," cried the child.
" Little Missa keep quiet," said Kadok, rais-
ing himself on his elbow, grasping a stick he
had and peering through the bushes. " Some-
1 Huts.
112 Our Little Australian Cousin
thing coming. Think not black man. Don't
move! " They sat so quiet it seemed to Jean
that she could hear her heart beat, but heard
nothing more. Just as she was about to speak,
Kadok raised his stick quickly and brought it
down with great force and Jean saw something
black whirl and twist at the opening of the
cave.
" Missa help quick. This hard to hold,"
cried Kadok. " Take stick, hold very tight
here," and he gave her the handle of the forked
stick which, to her horror, she saw held down
by its neck a large snake. She shut her eyes
tight, but held the stick bearing down with all
her might while Kadok struck the snake over
and over with his stick.
" Good Missa, let go stick, snake very dead
now," and she looked with a shudder at the
dead body of the serpent.
"" Him tree-python," said Kadok, calmly.
" Him make very good supper for Missa."
Housekeeping in a Cave 113
" Oh, I couldn't eat snake, really, I couldn't,"
she said, but Kadok laughed.
" Make very good eat for black boy, save
yopolo for Missa," he said. " Think dinner
time now, Missa eat meat, Kadok eat snake."
It made Jean feel very queer to see him cut
off a piece of the tail, roast it and eat with great
enjoyment, but before night she was to look
upon the snake as her greatest friend.
She dropped asleep after eating and did not
waken until almost time for supper, when she
found that Kadok had been sleeping too.
" Foot very much better, think we go find
Mother to-morrow," he said, as she sat up and
rubbed her eyes. " Little Missa not cry, be
good Missa. We be all right. Time to eat
again."
" I'm not very hungry," she said, " but I want
some fresh water to drink."
" Little Missa not go to the spring. Kadok
not like," he said so earnestly that she said,
H4 Our Little Australian Cousin
" Well, never mind, I can drink the old water
and chew some hibiscus leaves."
" Think I can go for Missa," said Kadok
as he rose and tried his foot. " Not very
bad."
" Oh, never mind," she said, but he took the
billy and his stick and limped through the bushes.
He was gone only a moment or two when she
felt a strange feeling as of some one looking at
her, and she raised her head to see, staring
through the bushes, the same savage eyes which
had frightened her the day before.
" Kadok!" she screamed, but the Black
reached forth a long arm and tried to catch her.
She drew back into the cave and screamed again.
She had no weapon, but she grasped the dead
snake by the tail and with all the strength she
could muster threw it straight into the Black's
face. The man gave a loud " Wouf ! " as the
reptile struck his face, and darted back just as
Kadok came up behind and struck him on the
Housekeeping in a Cave 115
head with his waddy. Attacked before and be-
hind, the black man thought his enemies were
many and he fled through the bushes as fast as
he could go. Fear lent him wings and he did
not stop until far from the scene of his terror.
Kadok limped into the cave.
" Little Missa hurt?" he asked anxiously.
" No, but I was dreadfully frightened. It
was the same Black I saw yesterday."
" What little Missa do? " asked the boy.
" I hadn't anything else, so I hit him with
your snake and he ran away," she said simply.
The boy looked at her in astonishment and then
laughed loud and long.
" Baiame teach little Missa to be good Bush
girl," he said. " One thing very much scare
Black is snake in the face. Missa do just right
thing."
" I didn't know just what to do, but I had to
do something," she said. " What shall we do
now, Kadok? "
Ii6 Our Little Australian Cousin
" Not know," he said, frowning. " Think
best eat, rest to-night. Go long early in
morning before Black come back. Missa
make eat, then sleep. Not be afraid. Kadok
watch."
CHAPTER X
DANDY SAVES THE DAY
It was early in the morning when the two set
out and the stars were still shining.
" I never saw so many stars in all my life,"
said Jean. " It seems to me there are more in
Australia than I ever saw in Scotland."
" Think great plenty, maybe eighty-eight," *
said Kadok.
Their way lay through a less beautiful part
of the country than any Jean had seen before.
It was a wild and lonely land, close to the edge
of the scrub, beyond them only sand and spini-
fex. A fire had swept over the wood and left the
trees gaunt and bare. They waved and tossed
1 The Blacks can count only as high as their ten fingers.
Anything above this they call always " eighty-eight," though
no one knows why.
117
u8 Our Little Australian Cousin
their gray branches like demons, and Jean shud-
dered, as on every side the ghostly trees seemed
to hem her in.
They came to a clearing where the trees had
been cut down, and these, bleached and white,
lay on the ground in a thousand gnarled and
twisted shapes, their interlacing branches seem-
ing like writhing serpents. Many of the gum
trees had been killed, for the cuts in the bark
had been made too deep, and the bark hung
down in long strips.
No friendly animals or piping forest song-
sters chirruped a cheerful welcome to this scene
of desolation. Only the solitary " widow bird "
hopped about hunting for insects and piping her
mournful little note. Then the sound of a cur-
lew, like the gasp of a dying child, came to them
through the dawn, as the sun rose, red and piti-
less, over the sands. Beyond these were the
mountains, rising straight up against the sky.
Huge gray boulders made a wall at the base
Dandy Saves the Day 119
of the ridge and the whole place seemed so
strange and eerie that Jean cried out,
" Oh, Kadok, we don't have to cross these
sands, do we? I'm afraid."
" No, Missa," said Kadok wearily. His foot
was hurting him cruelly and he felt discouraged.
" We go another way, all through the wood.
Missa not feel 'fraid. Where Missa's Baiame?
Take care of black boy, not take care of white
child?"
" Yes, indeed He will," said Jean, feeling
ashamed that the black boy should preach to her.
" But I can't help being afraid. It seems as if
we would never get to mother."
" Little Missa get there some day, but Kadok
not know how soon. Think best way now to
hunt for road and Missa go long quick for her-
self. Kadok foot not let him go very fast."
" Well, I think I won't," said Jean indig-
nantly. " Do you suppose I'd do that when you
have been so good to me? We'll go as slowly
120 Our Little Australian Cousin
as you have to and I'll take care of your foot.
I'm terribly hungry, Kadok, can we eat now? "
" Not eat here," said Kadok, who liked the
place as little as she did. " Walk little more
round edge of sand, there find water-hole in the
woods and eat."
So they trudged on in silence for another
hour, gradually leaving behind them the sandy
scrub and coming to a pleasant wood where a
carpet of maiden-hair and coral fern reached
knee-deep in tenderest green. Velvet-brown tree
ferns rose in the air, wearing a feathery coronet
of fronds, and above them grew the sassafras
and the myrtle. A thousand sweet scents were
wafted through the air and a bubbling stream
surprised them by gushing forth from a clump of
bushes.
V Little Missa rest and eat here," said Kadok.
" Plenty water," as he explored the banks.
" Oh, Kadok, how lovely it looks," she cried.
" I'd like to bathe in that water, it's so clear and
nice."
Dandy Saves the Day 1 21
" Very good thing," said the boy. " Kadok
make eat, Little Missa go to the bushes let water
run all over self. Keep her from being thirsty
all day while we walk."
So Jean splashed in the cool water and en-
joyed her bath like a little nymph behind the
thick screen of bushes. She smoothed up her
hair and came forth refreshed and rested to find
Kadok had made fresh damper and toasted some
bits of meat, gathering also some of the sassa-
fras leaves, making a kind of tea which was very
good. She ate and rested while Kadok bathed
his foot and filled his water bottle, and then they
started off again, tramping this time over a hilly
country. They had to take a long rest in the
middle of the day while the sun was hot and
both were very tired. There was nothing to eat
but damper and some roots Kadok had found,
and the delay and the scanty meal did not make
Jean feel any more cheerful. The day seemed
the longest she had ever spent and when twi-
122 Our Little Australian Cousin
light fell and they found no shelter, no friendly
cave nor deserted hut, the little girl felt more
forlorn than she had ever felt in her life. She
tried hard not to show Kadok for she saw that
the boy was suffering far worse than he would
admit.
"What are we going to have for supper?"
she asked.
" Not much eat," said he. " Damper all
gone, no more flour. No meat."
" There's plenty of water, anyway," said
Jean, for they had followed the course of the
stream all day and now camped beside its sil-
very ripples. As she spoke, a stir in the water
caught her eye.
" Oh, Kadok," she exclaimed, " why can't we
have fish? "
" No can catch," said the boy wearily. " Too
bad foot to go hunt."
" Watch me catch a fish," said Jean sturdily.
" I used to catch trout at home. Let me see,
Dandy Saves the Day 123
what can I use for a line?" She thought a
minute, then clapped her hands. " I know, you
just rest, Kadok, and see what a good fisherman
I am!"
She took a pin from her belt, bent it and tied
to it a strip of cotton torn from her skirt. This
line she tied to a branch from which she stripped
the leaves ; on them she found some fuzzy cater-
pillars, one of which she used for bait. Then
she threw her line and sat down where the
stream turned at right angles and made a deep,
quiet pool. She waited a long time. Three or
four times she had a bite and failed to land her
fish, but just as she was growing discouraged
there was a jerk, then a long, steady pull at her
line.
" Come help me land him," she called to
Kadok, and the boy hastened to her aid. Be-
tween them they pulled in their fish, a fine, speck-
led fellow which Kadok cleaned and roasted on
a flat stone heated red hot. The fish was deli-
124 Our Little Australian Cousin
cious, and there was plenty for both of them,
so that they felt far more cheerful as they rolled
up their blankets to sleep.
It was Jean's first trial of sleeping in the open,
and it was long before she could rest. She lay
and watched the stars, of only a few of which
she knew the names, though Orion seemed like
an old friend and the cloudy path of the Milky
Way a broad road to Heaven.
" Little Missa not sleep," said Kadok. " Her
'fraid Debill-debill?"
" No, Kadok, I'm not afraid," she answered.
" Peruna heeal very good spirit, he big man
spirit, lives 'bove clouds. He not let Debil-debil
loose to-night. Too many twinkle lights.
Debil-debil likes darkness. Missa try sleep."
Toward morning Jean was awakened by a
crackling in the bushes. " Kadok," she whis-
pered. " Wake up."
" Kadok not asleep, little Missa," he whis-
pered in return.
Dandy Saves the Day 125
" I hear something in the bushes," she said.
" Is it one of those bad Blacks like I saw at the
cave? "
" Too far away for bad Black, think ghost,
maybe," said the black boy, who, with all his
courage, had the Black's fear of ghosts.
" I don't think there are such things as
ghosts," said Jean steadily.
" Plenty ghosts," said Kadok. " One man
of my tribe go to near tribe and he saw wuurie
left alone with no life in it. Over door was
crooked stick pointing to where family had gone.
On ground were pieces of bark covered with
white clay, so he knew some one dead. He fol-
low tracks and found dead body in tree. It was
bound with knees to chest, tied with cord made
from acacia bark and was wrapped in rug of
opossum skins. He turn back rug and saw face
of friend. Then he wept and went away. He
walked from place of death and heard a great
chattering of magpies. He turned to see what
126 Our Little Australian Cousin
made magpies make so much noise — saw ghost
of dead friend. It had followed him from the
tree. So I know there are ghosts, little Missa."'
" This ghost sounds to me as if it went on
four feet," said Jean. " And as I don't hear it
any more I'm going to sleep."
She listened for awhile, but heard no more.
In the early morning she was awakened by
feeling something cool on her face. She sprang
up with a cry of terror which promptly turned
to one of delight.
" Dandy, my own Dandy! " she cried, throw-
ing her arms around the pony's neck.
" Oh, Kadok, here is my pony. He has wan-
dered away and we must be not far from Djer-
inallum ! "
The little pony seemed as pleased as she, and
Kadok's face lighted up,
" Little Missa take road with pony and ride
safe now. Say good-bye to Kadok and run 'long
home."
Dandy Saves the Day 127
Jean stamped her foot she was so angry.
" You make me angry, Kadok," she cried.
" Here you've taken care of me all these days
and now you want me to run off and leave you !
I don't think you're nice at all. You shall come
with me to the run. You can ride when your
foot is tired and I'll ride part of the time. It
can't be far now. You go catch a fish and we'll
have breakfast, then we'll start."
Kadok looked astonished as the little fury
scolded, but he obeyed, and soon a fine fish siz-
zled on the fire stone.
They started off for the main road, which
Kadok said was not far away through the
bushes, Jean riding her pony and feeling bright
and cheerful. When they reached the road after
several hours riding, she saw that Kadok was
limping painfully. She jumped off the pony and
said,
" You must ride now. I know your foot
hurts and I'm tired of riding and want to walk
128 Our Little Australian Cousin
awhile. Get on and I will walk along and hold
Dandy's rein."
" Little Missa get very boss. Time Missa
get back to white folks," he grumbled, as he
climbed slowly on the horse's back. " Gin never
say ' do ' to Kadok," but Jean only laughed at
him and trudged along.
It was an odd picture on which the Australian
sun shone, the black boy on a pony led by a white
child in tattered gingham, and two travellers
scanned the couple curiously as they urged their
horses along. Catching up with the children
they would have passed, but Jean suddenly cried,
" Father! Fergus!"
" Jeanie ! What on earth ! " but the rest of
her father's sentence was lost as he clasped the
child in his arms and Jean knew that her troubles
were over.
" There was a terrible hue and cry, lassie,
when it was discovered that Dandy and you were
THE BLACK BOY ON A PONY LED BY A WHITE CHILD.
Dandy Saves the Day 129
lost," said her uncle that night as she lay, tired
but happy, her mother beside her, in a corner
of the big couch in the morning room at Djer-
inallum. " Scouts were sent everywhere, but
you seemed to have dropped off the earth. Par-
ties have been searching ever since, but no one
has been successful in finding even a trail. We
traced you to the place in the woods where you
got off your pony, but beyond that there were no
tracks. Kadok says that the Black who took
you did not mean any harm. His gin was nearly
crazy over the death of her child, a little girl
younger than you, and he wanted to take you
to her to see. They had heard of you from the
gin to whom you gave a curl. The Blacks think
that when a Black dies he returns to the earth
as a white, and he wanted his gin to see you,
thinking that you might be his own child come
back."
" Poor child, you have had a dreadful time,"
said her Aunt Mildred.
130 Our Little Australian Cousin
" Oh, no, except that I was worried about
Mother, because I knew she'd think I was
killed," she said. Her mother held her close.
" I would have been if it hadn't been for
Kadok."
" Good Kadok," said Mr. Hume. " His foot
is being taken care of now and he shall have a
good home for the rest of his life on our
run — "
" Oh Father, are you going to have a sheep
run! I'm so glad! " cried Jean.
" Yes, we got back from the Gold Country
just in time to meet you. I made some money,
but I am never going back there. Fergus has
no end of adventures to tell you, but it is no
place to take you and your mother, and I don't
want to leave you again."
" Oh, I'm so glad, we'll be near Uncle and
Aunt Mildred," said Jean.
" Not me? " asked Sandy mischievously.
" Oh, you, of course," said Jean. " We are
Dandy Saves the Day 131
going to be Australians ourselves, now, and of
course we won't forget our Little Australian
Cousin."
THE END.
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
■ ■
THE LITTLE COLONEL BOOKS
(Trade Mark)
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON
Each 1 vol., large 12 mo, cloth, illustrated, per vol. . $1.50
THE LITTLE COLONEL STORIES
(Trade Mark)
Being three " Little Colonel " stories in the Cosy Corner
Series, " The Little Colonel," " Two Little Knights of
Kentucky," and " The Giant Scissors," put into a single
volume.
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S HOUSE PARTY
(Trade Mark)
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S HOLIDAYS
(Trade Mark)
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S HERO
(Trade Mark)
THE LITTLE COLONEL AT BOARDING
(Trade Mark)
SCHOOL
THE LITTLE COLONEL IN ARIZONA
(Trade Mark)
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S CHRISTMAS
(Trade Mark)
VACATION
THE LITTLE COLONEL, MAID OF HONOUR
(Trade Mark)
THE LITTLE COLONEL'S KNIGHT COMES
(Trade Mark)
RIDING
MARY WARE: THE LITTLE COLONEL'S
(Trade Mark)
CHUM
These ten volumes, boxed as a ten-volume set, . $15.00
A-l
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
THE LITTLE COLONEL
(Trade Mark)
TWO LITTLE KNIGHTS OF KENTUCKY
THE GIANT SCISSORS
BIG BROTHER
Special Holiday Editions
Each one volume, cloth decorative, small quarto, $1.28
New plates, handsomely illustrated with eight full-page
drawings in color, and many marginal sketches.
IN THE DESERT OF WAITING: The Legend op
Camelback Mountain.
THE THREE WEAVERS: A Fairy Tale for
Fathers and Mothers as Well as for Their
Daughters.
KEEPING TRYST
THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING HEART
THE RESCUE OF PRINCESS WINSOME: A
Fairy Play for Old and Young.
THE JESTER'S SWORD
Each one volume, tall 16mo, cloth decorative . $0.50
Paper boards .35
There has been a constant demand for publication in
separate form of these six stories, which were originally
included in six of the " Little Colonel " books.
JOEL : A BOY OF GALILEE : By Annie Fellows
Johnston. Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman.
New illustrated edition, uniform with the Little Colonel
Books, 1 vol., large 12mo, cloth decorative . $1.50
A story of the time of Christ, which is one of the author's
best-known books.
A — 2
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
THE LITTLE COLONEL GOOD TIMES BOOK
Uniform in size with the Little Colonel Series. $1 .50
Bound in white kid (morocco) and gold . . 3.00
Cover design and decorations by Amy Carol Rand.
The publishers have had many inquiries from readers
of the Little Colonel books as to where they could obtain
a " Good Times Book " such as Betty kept. Mrs. Johns-
ton, who has for years kept such a book herself, has gone
enthusiastically into the matter of the material and format
for a similar book for her young readers. Every girl will
want to possess a " Good Times Book."
ASA HOLMES : Or, At the Cross-Roads. A sketch
of Country Life and Country Humor. By Annie
Fellows Johnston.
With a frontispiece by Ernest Fosbery.
Large 16mo, cloth, gilt top $1.00
" ' Asa Holmes; or, At the Cross-Roads ' is the most
delightful, most sympathetic and wholesome book that
has been published in a long while." — Boston Times.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS : Or, The Adventures of
Henry Burns. By Ruel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
A story of a party of typical American lads, courageous,
alert, and athletic, who spend a summer camping on an
island off the Maine coast.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS AFLOAT: Or, The
Prize Yacht Viking. By Ruel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
This book is a continuation of the adventures of " The
Rival Campers " on their prize yacht Viking.
THE RIVAL CAMPERS ASHORE
By Ruel Perley Smith.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
" As interesting ashore as when afloat." — The Interior.
JACK HARVEY'S ADVENTURES: Or, The
Rival Campers Among the Oyster Pirates. By
Ruel Perley Smith. Illustrated . . $1.50
" Just the type of book which is most popular with lads
who are in their early teens." — The Philadelphia Item.
A — 3
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
PRISONERS OF FORTUNE : A Tale of the Mas-
sachusetts Bay Colony. By Ruel Perley Smith.
Cloth decorative, with a colored frontispiece . $1.50
" There is an atmosphere of old New England in the
book, the humor of the born raconteur about the hero,
who tells his story with the gravity of a preacher, but with
a solemn humor that is irresistible." — Courier- Journal.
FAMOUS CAVALRY LEADERS. By Charles H.
L. Johnston.
Large 12mo. With 24 illustrations . . . $1.50
Biographical sketches, with interesting anecdotes and
reminiscences of the heroes of history who were leaders
of cavalry.
" More of such books should be written, books that
acquaint young readers with historical personages in a
pleasant informal way." — N. Y. Sun.
FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFS. By Charles H. L.
Johnston.
Large 12mo, illustrated $1.50
In this book Mr. Johnston gives interesting sketches of
the Indian braves who have figured with prominence in
the history of our own land, including Powhatan, the
Indian Csesar; Massasoit, the friend of the Puritans;
Pontiac, the red Napoleon; Tecumseh, the famous war
chief of the Shawnees; Sitting Bull, the famous war chief
of the Sioux; Geronimo, the renowned Apache Chief, etc.,
etc.
BILLY'S PRINCESS. By Helen Eggleston Has-
kell.
Cloth decorative, illustrated by Helen McCormick
Kennedy $1.25
Billy Lewis was a small boy of energy and ambition, so
when he was left alone and unprotected, he simply started
out to take care of himself.
TENANTS OF THE TREES. By Clarence
Hawkes.
Cloth decorative, illustrated in colors . . $1.50
" A book which will appeal to all who care for the
hearty, healthy, outdoor life of the country. The illus-
trations are particularly attractive." — Boston Herald.
A — 4
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
BEAUTIFUL JOE'S PARADISE : Or, The Island
of Brotherly Love. A sequel to " Beautiful Joe."
By Marshall Saunders, author of " Beautiful Joe."
One vol., library 12mo, cloth, illustrated . . $1.50
" This book revives the spirit of ' Beautiful Joe ' capi-
tally. It is fairly riotous with fun, and is about as unusual
as anything in the animal book line that has seen the light."
— PhUadetphia Item.
'TILDA JANE. By Marshall Saunders.
One vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50
" I cannot think of any better book for children than
this. I commend it unreservedly." — • Cyrus Townsend
Brady.
'TILDA JANE'S ORPHANS. A sequel to 'Tilda
Jane. By Marshall Saunders.
One vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50
'Tilda Jane is the same original, delightful girl, and as
fond of her animal pets as ever.
THE STORY OF THE GRAVELEYS. By Mar-
shall Saunders, author of " Beautiful Joe's Para-
dise," " 'Tilda Jane," etc.
Library 12mo, cloth decorative. Illustrated by E. B.
Barry . . $1.50
Here we have the haps and mishaps, the trials and
triumphs, of a delightful New England family, of whose
devotion and sturdiness it will do the reader good to hear.
BORN TO THE BLUE. By Florence Kimball
RUSSEL.
12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.25
The atmosphere of army life on the plains breathes on
every page of this delightful tale. The boy is the son of a
captain of U. S. cavalry stationed at a frontier post in the
days when our vegulars earned the gratitude of a nation.
A— 5
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
IN WEST POINT GRAY
By Florence Kimball Russel.
12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50
" Singularly enough one of the best books of the year
for boys is written by a woman and deals with life at West
Point. The presentment of life in the famous military
academy whence so many heroes have graduated is realistic
and enjoyable." — New York Sun.
FROM CHEVRONS TO SHOULDER STRAPS
By Florence Kimball Russel.
12mo, cloth, illustrated, decorative . . . $1.50
West Point again forms the background of a new volume
in this popular series, and relates the experience of Jack
Stirling during his junior and senior years.
THE SANDMAN: HIS JARM STORIES
By William J. Hopkins. With fifty illustrations by
Ada Clendenin Williamson.
Large 12mo, decorative cover . . . . $1.50
" An amusing, original book, written for the benefit of
very small children. It should be one of the most popular
of the year's books for reading to small children." —
Buffalo Express.
THE SANDMAN: MORE FARM STORIES
By William J. Hopkins.
Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50
Mr. Hopkins's first essay at bedtime stories met with
such approval that this second book of " Sandman " tales
was issued for scores of eager children. Life on the farm,
and out-of-doors, is portrayed in his inimitable manner.
THE SANDMAN: HIS SHIP STORIES
By William J. Hopkins, author of " The Sandman:
His Farm Stories," etc.
Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50
" Children call for these stories over and over again." —
Chicago Evening Post.
A— 6
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
THE SANDMAN, HIS SEA STORIES
By William J. Hopkins.
Large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50
Each year adds to the popularity of this unique series
of stories to be read to the little ones at bed time and at
other times.
THE DOCTORS LITTLE GIRL
By Marion Ames Taggart, author of " Pussy-Cat
Town," etc.
One vol., library 12mo, illustrated . . . $1.50
A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a little girlfand her com-
rade father, written in a delightful vein of sympathetic
comprehension of the child's point of view.
SWEET NANCY
The Further Adventures op the Doctor's Little
Girl. By Marion Ames Taggart.
One vol., library, 12mo, illustrated . . . $1.50
In the new book, the author tells how Nancy becomes
in fact " the doctor's assistant," and continues to shed
happiness around her.
THE CHRISTMAS-MAKERS' CLUB
By Edith A. Sawyer.
12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50
A delightful story for girls, full of the real spirit of
Christmas. It abounds in merrymaking and the right
kind of fun.
CARLOTA
A Story of the San Gabriel Mission. By Frances
Margaret Fox.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated and decorated
in colors by Ethelind Ridgway . . . . $1.00
"It is a pleasure to recommend this little story as an
entertaining contribution to juvenile literature." — The
New York Sun.
THE SEVEN CHRISTMAS CANDLES
By Frances Margaret Fox.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco-
rated in colors by Ethelind Ridgway . . $1.00
Miss Fox's new book deals with the fortunes of the de-
lightful Mulvaney children.
A — 7
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
PUSSY-CAT TOWN
By Marion Ames Taggart.
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco-
rated in colors $1.00
" Anything more interesting than the doings of the cats
in this story, their humor, their wisdom, their patriotism,
would be hard to imagine." — Chicago Post.
THE ROSES OF SAINT ELIZABETH
By Jane Scott Woodruff.
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and decorated
in colors by Adelaide Everhart . . . $1.00
This is a charming little story of a child whose father was
caretaker of the great castle of the Wartburg, where Saint
Elizabeth once had her home.
GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK
By Evaleen Stein.
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco-
rated in colors by Adelaide Everhart . . . $1 .00
Gabriel was a loving, patient, little French lad, who
assisted the monks in the long ago days, when all the books
were written and illuminated by hand, in the monasteries.
THE ENCHANTED AUTOMOBILE
Translated from the French by Mary J. Safford
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco-
rated in colors by Edna M. Sawyer . . . $1.00
" An up-to-date French fairy-tale which fairly radiates
the spirit of the hour, — unceasing diligence.' — Chicago
Record-Herald .
O-HEART-SAN
The Story of a Japanese Girl. By Helen Eggles-
ton Haskell.
Small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and deco-
rated in colors by Frank P. Fairbanks . $1.00
" The story comes straight from the heart of Japan.
The shadow of Fujiyama lies across it and from every
page breathes the fragrance of tea leaves, cherry blossoms
and chrysanthemums." — The Chicago Inter-Ocean.
A-8
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
THE YOUNG SECTION-HAND: Or, The Adven-
tures of Allan West. By Burton E. Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
Mr. Stevenson's hero is a manly lad of sixteen, who is
given a chance as a section-hand on a big Western rail-
road, and whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling.
THE YOUNG TRAIN DISPATCHER. By Bur-
ton E. Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
" A better book for boys has never left an American
press." — Springfield Union.
THE YOUNG TRAIN MASTER. By Burton E.
Stevenson.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
" Nothing better in the way of a book of adventure for
boys in which the actualities of life are set forth in a practi-
cal way could be devised or written." — Boston Herald.
CAPTAIN JACK LORIMER. By Winn Standish.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
Jack is a fine example of the all-around American high-
school boy.
JACK LORIMER'S CHAMPIONS: Or, Sports on
Land and Lake. By Winn Standish.
Square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated . $1.50
" It is exactly the sort of book to give a boy interested
in athletics, for it shows him what it means to always
' play fair.' " — Chicago Tribune.
JACK LORIMER'S HOLIDAYS' Or, Millvale
High in Camp. By Winn Standish.
Illustrated $1.50
Full of just the kind of fun, sports and adventure to
excite the healthy minded youngster to emulation.
JACK LORIMER'S SUBSTITUTE : Or, The Act-
ing Captain of the Team. By Winn Standish.
Illustrated $1.50
On the sporting side, this book takes up football, wres-
tling, tobogganing, but it is more of a school story perhaps
than any of its predecessors.
— 9
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
CAPTAIN JINKS: The Autobiography of a Shet-
land Pony. By Frances Hodges White.
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50
The story of Captain Jinks and his faithful dog friend
Billy, their quaint conversations and their exciting
adventures, will be eagerly read by thousands of boys and
girls. The story is beautifully written and will take its
place alongside of " Black Beauty " and " Beautiful Joe."
THE RED FEATHERS. By Theodore Roberts.
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . $1.50
" The Red Feathers " tells of the remarkable adventures
of an Indian boy who lived in the Stone Age, many years
ago, when the world was young.
FLYING PLOVER. By Theodore Roberts.
Cloth decorative. Illustrated by Charles Livingston
Bull $1.00
Squat-By-The-Fire is a very old and wise Indian who
lives alone with her grandson, " Flying Plover," to whom
she tells the stories each evening.
THE WRECK OF THE OCEAN QUEEN. By
James Otis, author of " Larry Hudson's Ambition," etc.
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . . $1.50
" A stirring story of wreck and mutiny, which boys will
find especially absorbing. The many young admirers of
James Otis will not let this book escape them, for it fully
equals its many predecessors in excitement and sustained
interest." — Chicago Evening Post.
LITTLE WHITE INDIANS. By Fannie E. Os-
TRANDER.
Cloth decorative, illustrated . • • . $1.25
" A bright, interesting story which will appeal strongly
to the ' make-believe Y instinct in children, and will
give them a healthy, active interest in 'the simple life.'"
MARCHING WITH MORGAN. How Donald
Lovell Became a Soldier op the Revolution.
By John L. Veasy.
Cloth decorative, illustrated . . . . $1.50
This is a splendid boy's story of the expedition of
Montgomery and Arnold against Quebec
A— 10
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
COSY CORNER SERIES
It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall
contain only the very highest and purest literature, —
stories that shall not only appeal to the children them-
selves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with
them in their joys and sorrows.
The numerous illustrations in each book are by well-
known artists, and each volume has a separate attract-
ive cover design.
Each 1 vol., 16mo, cloth $0.50
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON
THE LITTLE COLONEL (Trade Mark.)
The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its hero-
ine is a small girl, who is known as the Little Colonel,
on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school
Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family
are famous in the region.
THE GIANT SCISSORS
This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures in
France. Joyce is a great friend of the Little Colonel,
and in later volumes shares with her the delightful ex-
periences of the " House Party " and the " Holidays."
TWO LITTLE KNIGHTS OF KENTUCKY
Who Were the Little Colonel's Neighbors.
In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an
old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is not,
however, the central figure of the story, that place being
taken by the " two little knights."
MILDRED'S INHERITANCE
A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who
comes to America and is befriended by a sympathetic
American family who are attracted by her beautiful
speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is en-
abled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the
use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy,
happy one.
A — 11
L. C. PAGE S° COMPANY'S
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON (Continued)
CICELY AND OTHER STORIES FOR GIRLS
The readers of Mrs. Johnston's charming juveniles
will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for young
people.
AUNT 'LIZA'S HERO AND OTHER STORIES
A collection of six bright little stories, which will appeal
to all boys and most girls.
BIG BROTHER
A story of two boys. The devotion and care of Stephen,
himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the theme of
the simple tale.
OLE MAMMY'S TORMENT
" Ole Mammy's Torment " has been fitly called " a
classic of Southern life." It relates the haps and mis-
haps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by
love and kindness to a knowledge of the right.
THE STORY OF DAGO
In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago,
a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago
tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mis-
haps is both interesting and amusing.
THE QUILT THAT JACK BUILT
A pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and how
it changed the course of his life many years after it was
accomplished.
FLIP'S ISLANDS OF PROVIDENCE
A story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and his
final triumph, well worth the reading.
A — 12
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
By EDITH ROBINSON
A LITTLE PURITAN'S FIRST CHRISTMAS
A story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how Christ-
mas was invented by Betty Sewall, a typical child of the
Puritans, aided by her brother Sam.
A LITTLE DAUGHTER OF LIBERTY
The author introduces this story as follows:
" One ride is memorable in the early history of the
American Revolution, the well-known ride of Paul
Kevere. Equally deserving of commendation is another
ride, — the ride of Anthony Severn, — which was no less
historic in its action or memorable in its consequences."
A LOYAL LITTLE MAID
A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary
days, in which the child heroine, Betsey Schuyler, renders
important services to George Washington.
A LITTLE PURITAN REBEL
This is an historical tale of a real girl, during the time
when the gallant Sir Harry Vane was governor of Massa-
chusetts.
A LITTLE PURITAN PIONEER
The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settlement
at Charlestown.
A LITTLE PURITAN BOUND GIRL
A story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great
interest to youthful readers.
A LITTLE PURITAN CAVALIER
The story of a " Little Puritan Cavalier " who tried
with all his boyish enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and
ideals of the dead Crusaders.
A PURITAN KNIGHT ERRANT
The story tells of a young lad in Colonial times who
endeavored to carry out the high ideals of the knights
of olden days.
A— 13
Z. C. PAGE &* COMPANY'S
By OUIDA (Louise de la Ramee)
A DOG OF FLANDERS
A Christmas Story
Too well and favorably known to require description.
THE NURNBERG STOVE
This beautiful story has never before been published
at a popular price.
By FRANCES MARGARET FOX
THE LITTLE GIANT'S NEIGHBOURS
A charming nature story of a " little giant " whose
neighbors were the creatures of the field and garden.
FARMER BROWN AND THE BIRDS
A little story which teaches children that the birds are
man's best friends.
BETTY OF OLD MACKINAW
A charming story of child life.
BROTHER BILLY
The story of Betty's brother, and some further adven-
tures of Betty herself.
MOTHER NATURE'S LITTLE ONES
Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, or
" childhood," of the little creatures out-of-doors.
HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO THE MUL-
VANEYS
A bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor children
with an unlimited capacity for fun and mischief.
THE COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
Miss Fox has vividly described the happy surprises that
made the occasion so memorable to the Mulvaneys, and
the funny things the children did in their new environ-
ment.
A— 14
BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
By MISS MULOCK
THE LITTLE LAME PRINCE
A delightful story of a little boy who has many ad-
ventures by means of the magic gifts of his fairy god-
mother.
ADVENTURES OF A BROWNIE
The story of a household elf who torments the cook
and gardener, but is a constant joy and delight to the
children who love and trust him.
HIS LITTLE MOTHER
Miss Mulock's short stories for children are a constant
source of delight to them, and " His Little Mother," in
this new and attractive dress, will be welcomed by hosts
of youthful readers.
LITTLE SUNSHINE'S HOLIDAY
An attractive story of a summer outing. " Little Sun-
shine " is another of those beautiful child-characters for
which Miss Mulock is so justly famous.
By MARSHALL SAUNDERS
FOR HIS COUNTRY
A sweet and graceful story of a little boy who loved
his country; written with that charm which has endeared
Miss Saunders to hosts of readers.
NITA, THE STORY OF AN IRISH SETTER
In this touching little book, Miss Saunders shows how
dear to her heart are all of God's dumb creatures.
ALPATOK, THE STORY OF AN ESKIMO DOG
Alpatok, an Eskimo dog from the far north, was stolen
from his master and left to starve in a strange city, but
was befriended and cared for, until he was able to return
to his owner.
A — 15
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY'S
By WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE
THE FARRIER'S DOG AND HIS FELLOW
This story, written by the gifted young Southern
woman, will appeal to all that is best in the natures of
the many admirers of her graceful and piquant style.
THE FORTUNES OF THE FELLOW
Those who read and enjoyed the pathos and charm
of " The Farrier's Dog and His Fellow " will welcome
the further account of the adventures of Baydaw and
the Fellow at the home of the kindly smith.
THE BEST OF FRIENDS
This continues the experiences of the Farrier's dog
and his Fellow, written in Mr. Dromgoole's well-known
charming style.
DOWN IN DIXIE
A fascinating story for boys and girls, of a family of
Alabama children who move to Florida and grow up in
the South.
By MARIAN W. WILDMAN
LOYALTY ISLAND
An account of the adventures of four children and
their pet dog on an island, and how they cleared their
brother from the suspicion of dishonesty.
THEODORE AND THEODORA
This is a story of the exploits and mishaps of two mis-
chievous twins, and continues the adventures of the
interesting group of children in " Loyalty Island."
A— 16
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